Have you ever taken your livestock guardian dog for a walk? I’ve often heard the advice that you shouldn’t walk your LGD, or they will learn that there is an interesting world out there and will want to escape. The biggest mistake you could make would be to walk your LGD out the gate and off of your property. The reasoning is that your LGD would know the way out and want to escape even more.
This “advice” never made sense to me for many reasons. So, being the rebel I am, I started taking my Maremma pups on walks in my neighbor’s orchard and other nearby areas. I discovered that these walks are a lot of fun for my dogs and humans alike. They are also a great way to combine training, exercise, and fun.
A 6-month old Prancing Pony Maremma pup checks out the almond blooms.
I hired a new farm employee a couple of weeks ago. She helps with chores like cleaning up after my Maremmas, goats, and other animals, which is great. She also helps me train my Maremmas by going on walks with them.
The process is simple. We spend 1-2 hours wandering around the orchard or wherever we feel like going. We take our time, allowing the pups to sniff and explore. We work in some clicker training, practice our loose leash walking, and enjoy the experience.
None of my Maremmas have tried to escape after “discovering” the world outside the gate. (I’m pretty sure they already knew that world was there. 😆
I hope to do more of these walks. Now that I have a helper, I can. That’s great because walking two pups at once is more fun and efficient. Paying someone to spend a couple of hours strolling through an orchard with a couple of pups is a great use of my money and a wonderful investment in my dogs and breeding program.
What about you? Have you ever taken your LGD on a walk? If you haven’t, I highly encourage you to try it. You and your dog will enjoy it and find it’s well worth the time you put into it.
Happy walking,
Kim
PS: Reply and share your experiences or questions about walking LGDs.
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