For
an animal that we think of as our best friend, we often treat dogs as
if they are much less than that. We feed them at odd hours, we stick
them out in the back yard to entertain themselves in the heat or the
cold, we leave them alone while we work for hours at a time. Some of
these things can’t be avoided. In fact, it’s a lucky dog who has a
safe, enclosed back yard with a sturdy dog house where he can wile
away the hours until we get home from work. It’s better than being
stuck indoors all day.
Here’s
the thing, though. Dogs need to be walked. They need focused
exercise, and they need time to bond with you. They need mental
stimulation; they need to see the sights and smell the smells. Dogs
that live boring lives become mean and destructive. Dogs that don’t
interact with humans become withdrawn and maybe even aggressive.
Walking gets out some of that pent up energy that they might
otherwise use to chew up your carpet or dig a hole through your
bathroom door. Walking gives them time with you, and you are their
whole world! Dogs are pack animals, and the most important thing to
them is their people. They need that time with you.
So
go walk your dog. Get off the internet and do it. Your dog deserves
a walk. And so do you! You deserve 30 minutes of fresh air and
sunshine each day. You deserve time to look around your
neighborhood, to appreciate how blue the sky is, or how red the
leaves are, or how that one cloud looks like Voldemort. If you think
you don’t have the time, then reevaluate your commitments and make
the time. Walk your dog at night, before bed. Walk him on your
lunch break. Find some way to make it happen.
We
are guilty of not doing this. Years ago, when we were all younger,
we’d hook our dogs up after work and we’d walk for an hour every
single day. Rain or shine, it didn’t matter. Then we somehow got
out of the habit. We got down to once a week, sometimes not even that. We worked long hours, we were busy with school,
and while we didn’t exactly neglect our dogs, we didn’t make them our
priority either. And they should be. They deserve to be. Dogs are
some of the greatest people in the world!
We
started walking regularly again this summer and it has been great for both of
us. One 20 minute walk a day, at a minimum, the only exception being
extreme weather. Our dogs are happier and more engaged with the
world, especially the elderly one. We’ve lost weight and our
depression has lifted somewhat. We get more vitamin D from the extra
sunlight, which is especially important in winter. We know our
neighbors a little better, and they probably think we’re less of a
weird nocturnal hermit now that they’ve met us a few times.
Never
walked your dog before? Don’t worry, there’s not a whole lot to it.
Get your dog, get a harness and leash, and just walk. Walk in your
neighborhood. Walk in the park. Walk a nature trail. Walk around
your block. Walk by the river. Just get out and get moving. Your dog may pull, which
is frustrating, but resist the urge to yell or punish him. Walking
on a leash without pulling ahead isn’t a behavior that dogs naturally
know how to do, they have to be taught. Imagine if someone put you
on a leash. If you didn’t know better, you’d probably try to get
away too. Google the subject, watch some videos. Invest in a no-pull
harness. Sense-ible makes really good ones.
How
is this a minimalist activity, you ask? Walking is proven to reduce
stress. Dogs are proven to reduce stress. Combine the two and
you’ve created a maximum-efficiency stress reliever! You’ll be
burning calories, which will reduce your weight over time. You’re
also reducing the amount of damage that your bored dog will do to
your house when you are away. We cannot tell you how many things our
dogs have ruined while we were away working long hours in a factory.
Walking helps tremendously. A tired dog is a good dog. And to those naysayers who think that
minimalists shouldn’t have pets, we invite you to kindly go screw.
We’re allowed to have hobbies, and this is the one that we chose.
One
last word: before you take your dog out in the world, make sure he’s
had his shots. Rabies, distemper and parvo are some
common and deadly diseases that can be prevented with vaccines that
run less than 50 bucks in most areas. If you have a puppy that
hasn’t had all three of its boosters, don’t take it out in public.
If you can’t afford the shots then find a way to afford them. Find a
local organization that will help you pay for them. Donate plasma,
sell an old iPod. Find the money; it’s a literal matter of life or
death. If you can’t afford the vet, you can’t afford the pet.
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