What dogs think about on their daily walks
We know that dogs love their walkies. The minute they get the slightest hint that they’re about to go out, they’re mega excited. Depending on their character, they’re howling at the door, dragging their lead to you in their teeth or pawing your leg to get you to hurry up.
And once they’re outside, we can tell from all the waggy tails that they’re in canine heaven. All those smells to sniff and doggy pals to greet.
But what actually goes on in your dog’s head when they’re out for a walk? Following on from our recent revelations about why dogs love it when we work from home, we held Zoom sessions with some of our favourite canine deep-thinkers to find out.
Walkies is woof-tastic
“Boing! Boing! Boing! Woof! Boing! Boing! Boing! Woof! I is conveyin’ my general hexcitement at walkies in the traditional manner. Now who’s took my lead?”
YuMOVE insight: Dogs aren’t naturally lazy. They love nothing better than getting outside and hoovering up all the joy that’s on offer, from physical exercise to mental stimulation. Walkies is often the highlight of their day, which explains why the merest hint of the word can trigger a four-legged frenzy. And now that we’re allowed unlimited walks each day, expect even more excitement from your pup.
Furr-reedom at last!
“I luvs my hooman, but I luvs ‘em even more when they sets me free. I luvs to feel the wind in my fur and to chase a squerl, even though I’ve never caught one once. Gotta keep tryin’.”
YuMOVE insight: Dogs are hedonists at heart. They like to do what feels good, and of course it feels better to be able to chase around and wander about without being restrained. Make sure, though, that you only let your dog off the lead when it’s safe to do so and that they’re trained to come back when you call them. Your pup has to know that you’re in charge!
Exercising the snoot
“I intends to find the source of that most marvellous niff. Worrizzit? Whereizzit? Did next door’s doggo get to that bush first? Ooh, speshal chicken dinner on the pavement. Wassat? I’s goin’ to find out.”
YuMOVE insight: For your hound, every walk is a kaleidoscope of ever-changing scents and fascinating pongs. With 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose, dogs are hyper-sensitive to smell. Thanks to a scent receptor in their nose called the vomeronasal organ, they can sniff out pheromones, tell which dogs are friends or foes, and even sense your emotional state.
They leave messages to each other via their urine, which explains why your dog is so fascinated by lampposts, post boxes and any number of random-looking bushes. That’s also why you should allow your dog to enjoy the scent trails they discover on their daily walks; they’re just catching up on the local canine news, seeing where their friends have been.
Doggo playdates
“I luvs to meet my doggo frens. I can smell ‘em a mile off, espeshally Pongo. We likes to play ‘Chase My Tail’, ‘Jump Over The Sausage Dog’ and ‘That’s My Ball Now’.”
YuMOVE insight: Dogs are pack animals, so they relish any opportunity to get together with other dogs to socialise and enjoy a bit of friendly rough and tumble. If you encourage safe play with other dogs, your pooch will be happier and more contented.
Fox poo smells brrrriiilliant
“Lemme at it! Worra smell. I luvs it. I luvs it more than liver. Look at me go! I’m gonna cover myself in this gorgeous foxy fragrance. Gonna get it right into my earlugs so’s I can smell it later. Phwoar.”
YuMOVE insight: There are many theories why dogs love to roll in fox poo. They could be harking back to their days as wolves, when they’d need to disguise their scent in order to hunt for prey. Or they could do it to let other dogs know where they’ve been. Who knows? As dog lovers, it’s just one of those odd behaviours we have to learn to live with.
What does your dog think about their walks?
Recently, you’ve probably been having some pretty deep conversations with your dog too. If you’d like to share their thoughts, please get in touch with us via Facebook or Instagram. We promise to respect your pooch’s privacy and are happy to withhold any doggy details that they don’t wish to be made public.
