Dog walking when you don't feel like walking
S.A.D.: Seasonal Affective Disorder can make humans and dogs not want to walk
For people who enjoy frigid-weather climates and winter season, walking dogs is an absolute breeze — a cold breeze. But for the typical dog owner who looks outside at all the snow, ice and salt (which is doing no favors for dog paws), having the energy to go outside can become more of a job than a perk. Although it is rare that my Hound mix Junee doesn’t want to walk, there are times where she’ll roll over on the couch and just stare at me.
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So while most of these 10 tips are for humans, there are a few sprinkled in for dogs dealing with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) too.
Refrain from binge-listening to your favorite podcast: It takes me a while to find a podcast that I enjoy enough to want to listen to every episode of. Once I do, then I tend to go off the rails—trying to binge-listen to it everywhere I go: while showering, during Sweeper Sundays, driving, shopping, etc. I just want to fly through all the episodes to get to the latest ones. Stop doing this. If you’re like me, specifically if you have an active dog, you will need something to listen to in order to make that cold time go by. Instead of listening to your favorite podcast nonstop, wait until it’s time to walk the dog. It will make you that much happier to head out of the door, knowing that you’ll get to listen to a few minutes (or an hour) of your favorite podcast personalities.
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Recommended Read: “Storytelling, podcasting get uptick in interest among BIPOC entertainers ~ IDSC "BlackTechLogy" February 2023 Exclusive”
Walk when you’re upset, tired or restless. Although high blood pressure (and a few other things) run in my family, I never had any of it. Maybe being a vegetarian has helped or being reasonably physically active did the trick. Still, physical activity doesn’t always match mental activity. Once I initiated a lawsuit (regarding this issue), I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I realized fairly quickly that stress is a major factor in your health. When I’m stressed, I grab my dog’s leash and walk too — even if it’s not on schedule. My blood pressure goes back to normal more often than not after those much-needed strolls.
Keep your dog’s weight in check. If your veterinarian is already telling you that your dog could lose a few pounds in the spring and summer, you already know that the dog’s weight will more than likely increase in the fall and winter. While you may not be able to walk as long, keep the dog active—even if it’s simply letting the dog run loose in a snowy park to relieve the Zoomies.
Recommended Read: “My dog needs to lose 5 lbs, and I should too ~ The most enjoyable way to go on a weight loss mission with your pup”
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Be wary of running errands with your dog—even if it’s on the dog walk route. I still have mixed opinions about leashing dogs outside, especially after someone threatened to call Animal Control during what was an uncontrollable shopping trip error. Then there are the busybodies who feel the need to follow your dog around and assume (s)he is lost, regardless of how quickly your errand takes. But if you have errands to run and can go into pet-friendly places, it may be helpful to wait until you can schedule them back to back. This will eliminate repeated trips outside.