We know what it’s like at ‘walkies’ time, sometimes even speaking the word walk can start barking, rapid tail wagging and skidding along the kitchen floor to reach the door.

 We also know it can be easy to fall into a routine with your dog walks and rather than some quality time to play, bond and relax with your dog, it can become chore-like. To stop this from happening we’ve put together our best tips on ways to freshen up your next dog walk, to ensure your next adventure with your four-legged friend is top dog!

1. Keep them Fresh and Fun

Taking your dog to a variety of engaging settings such as woodland, beaches and meadows will not only be an adventure for you but will also help to keep your dog stimulated. Dogs have between 200 million to one billion scent receptors, compared to our six million, and they have a greater variety of types of scent receptors than we have. This means that the more you take your dog to different settings, the more they’ll experience new scents, and the more they’ll feel stimulated. 

2. Keep them entertaining

If you’re limited on time or you just want to up the fun factor of your next dog walk, make sure you bring dog toys with you. Bringing a tennis ball to throw can get your dogs heart rate up, which works to keep them fit and healthy. If you have a highly energetic dog this will hopefully stop them from bouncing off the walls when you get home too. 

Walks are also a great time to practice training with your dog. As they are often full of temptation (a roll in a muddy puddle, anyone?) you can take this time to get your dog on your side and get their obedience to be top-notch. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but as training is great for your dog's brain, then it’s certainly worth a go! 

3. Keep it rewarding and social 

If you use a walk as an opportunity to train your dog, be sure to bring some treats to give them if they behave well. This will reinforce their good behaviour and make them more likely to behave well in future. We would recommend our soft goodies as a treat- but maybe we’re biased! Make sure to give your dog plenty of affection too and have fun with them as this is not just awesome for their mental health but also yours too.  

It is also important to get your dog both confident and friendly with other dogs. Making walkies a time to meet other four-legged friends will lead to a well adjusted, friendly dog that is less likely to have behavioural problems in the future.  

4. Keep it Tidy 

Ever considered litter picking when on your walks? This is an awesome way to help keep our parks and beaches litter-free, whilst having fun with your pooch. Try picking up a few bits of litter as you walk around, or if you’re feeling really adventurous have a think about organising your own dog walk and litter pick, or getting involved of one of our #DoGoood events which we run all over the UK.  If you are lucky enough to take a trip to the beach with your dog then check out the 2MinuteBeachClean, this awesome project provides you with bags and litter pickers making it super easy to get picking.