The Value of Pack Walks

Pack walks, when a group of people get together to walk their dogs, provide many benefits for both the dog and the human companion. Visiting new locations for walks offers an enriching change of scenery and provides extra mental stimulation (with the discovery of novel sights, sounds, and smells for your dog to investigate!). Dogs largely explore their world through smell and love finding new scents. Attending pack walks adds another opportunity for putting extra exercise into your dog’s regular routine. Regular exercise helps dogs maintain their health and prevents boredom that can lead to undesirable behaviors. Regular dog walking is shown to have health benefits for humans as well, and pack walks are a fun place to socialize and make new connections with other local pet parents.

One of the most unique and beneficial parts of pack walking is the opportunity for your dog to socialize with other canines in a safe, structured environment. Many dogs thrive on interaction with their own kind, and enjoy meeting new playmates on the walk. Even those who don’t love to socialize can benefit from the controlled environment of the pack walk to work on reactivity training and improving social skills. Pack walks encourage walking side-by-side, in front of, or behind other dogs to help build trust, rather than meeting face-to-face, which can make some dogs uncomfortable.

Controlled positive exposure to other dogs can help reduce fearful or anxious behaviors. Regular attendance of pack walks can help provide a sense of security and routine that is predictable and comforting to your dog. Dogs learn well from each other, and can benefit from attending walks with other dogs who are social and well trained, as they look to the other dogs in the pack for cues on how to behave. Pack walks are a great place to practice, or put to test, training skills of any kind as your dog is introduced to new potential distractions and new environments.

Pack Walks in 21228 & 21227

Our pack walks in 21228 & 21227 have the added benefit of being overseen by experienced dog handlers, to provide helpful tips about leash walking, reactivity, and to prevent problematic exchanges from occurring between the dogs! We meet around once a month to walk on trails and at parks in the area, typically choosing locations that are ADA accessible.

If you live in the area and are interested in joining us for a walk, please join our facebook group for details.