Bored With Same Walking Route?

[Jerilyn]

I take Lila for a walk every day (unless the weather is frightful). I live in a suburb with the streets laid out on a pretty consistent grid pattern so there are lots of different routes we can take on our walks.

 

I have noticed that if we go the same way two days in a row or even twice in three days Lila does not show her usual enthusiasm. She walks with her head down, no looking around, no sniffing, no peeing.

 

If we are walking somewhere we have not been for a while she is much more enthusiastic. She walks with her head and ears up, looks around, lots of marking, and sniffs everything. I call her the postal inspector because she has to sniff every mailbox, sign post, lamp post, and tree that we come across. If we go down a “common” block to get to a more novel one her attitude changes immediately.

 

Have you noticed similar behaviour in your dog? Or are the OK with going the same way everyday?

 

Are you talking about me?

[FiveRoooooers]

Pretty girl.

 

Mine do that, definitely. Too many days of the same route and they are bored slowpokes. Change it up and we are back to actually walking as opposed to strolllinnngggg.

[dante2zoe]

I hear ya! I walk 5 dogs twice a day and 3 of them have their own ideas as to where we should walk. Two of them will, for lack of a better description, pout if we do in a direction that wasn't their choosing. Personally, I don't care which route we take (we have the grid pattern here, too), so I will go in the direction that the majority seems to prefer at that time. I can usually convince Zoe to get with the program and then she is fine, but if we go a way that Dante doesn't want to walk, he turns into a mule and refuses to walk. Then, he gets to go for a drag while the rest walk. It can be incredibly frustrating! Oh, we don't walk the same way twice in a day. We have to mix things up.

[cleptogrey]

how about using some treats and doing some training while you walk. that will make it more intersting and fun. include some recalls, about faces, circle to the left, circle to the right, stand/stays and what ever. if it's a utility walk getting ready for work, that's another story, but if it's nice out some training and changing your pace while walking makes things more interesting.

 

lucky me, annie has a high prey drive and we don't have a shortage of squirrels! so walks are NEVER boering for her and she keep felix on his toes.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer doesn't mind the same route.

[Guest krey1025]

So far, Peet doesn't mind the same route, he seems to prefer it because it's familiar and he knows all his favorite spots. Of course, now that I've said this, he'll probably never want to go the same way twice again!

[Guest ShanYu]

Nike is ecstatic during ANY walk whatever the route.

[seeh2o]

Carl seems really happy to go anywhere. Because there are so many off leash dogs in the park near our home, we alway go on the same rout, it is safer that way. Sad, but true.

[Guest kydie]

I let him pick the route, and he does seem to go the same way all the time,,, that's O.K.

I think he likes to check the mail, I don't care where he wants to go, a walk is a walk, and it is for him

the other 3 think they are being punished if you put them on a lead It's like they are saying "your kidding right?" they go daily to have an open field run for about 1/2 hour

[Guest KsFrets]

Magnus is the opposite. He learns a route, and if me or the girls want to go a different way, he will pull towards the old route... and may even show his displeasure with some spinnies. Maybe it's a male (likes same route) female (likes different routes) thing.

[Yamaha_gurl]

Not here. Bella could walk the same route for 1 week straight and she will still stop and sniff something every 5 metres. lol

[GeorgeofNE]

George prefers the same route; has to check on pee mail updates I guess!

[PrairieProf]

I devote an incredible amount of mental energy to keeping Beth's walks and life interesting. We do the same short walks a midday and late at night, but for morning or late afternoon walks, I always vary it, either in the neighborhood or taking Beth in the car to walk bike trails, in the state park, etc. But I'm single and taking care of her has become my major hobby. I do think she'd be fine on familiar routes at least for a while, since there would be new smells from day to day.

[LaFlaca]

Wendy has her route all mapped out...it's a perfect rectangle. She never seems to tire of sniffing each blade of grass and marking every few steps.

[DocsDoctor]

Nike is ecstatic during ANY walk whatever the route.

 

This . Walks are Doc's favourite thing, for sure!

[Guest IrskasMom]

You say the Word GO and Morty is ready.He could care less where we are going as long he is with me.We usualy go to the Park nearby and he constantly looks if any of his Friends are coming. That does not mean Dogs , that means Humans with their Dogs He thinks , he knows everybody.

[Jerilyn]

I wonder if it has to do with the number of other dogs around…?

 

In an urban setting, or where it is warm, there are more dogs out walking so the pee mail gets updated more frequently. There is always something new to sniff even on the same route.

 

Here in the ‘burbs everyone can just let their dogs out in the yard and with the cold weather very few people walk. From one day to the next there are probably no updates. Old news is just no fun!

[gazehund]

I live in the country with lots of available variations for my hounds. I change up their walk / ride / run routine every day. Keeps them on their toes and engaged.

[DonnaBehr]

My friend's greyhound is like that. She can't come back from a walk the same way she went or she has to start really pulling on the lease. She also can't do the same walk day after day. These guys are really strange sometimes.