How to Guide: First Outdoor Activity with Your Dog

Every pet owner must know that after a period when their puppy stays in the comfort of a home, comes a time when you go out for a first walk. And what a better place for your first outdoor activity than a park with plenty of other playful doggies and their owners. Your pooch will certainly be very excited and you should make some preparations in order to keep its first memory of a walk in the park – a happy one – that will be just the one of many to follow.

We have a useful guide that will assist you with planning such a special occasion. This shouldn’t be considered to be a simple outdoor activity since it is the first very important step of socialisation of your pet.

Guidelines For Your First Mutual Outdoor Activity

Doggies can become excited and anxious to go out for their first open world experience. As a responsible owner, you need to know that when that moment comes you should see to some important matters first. As soon as when your k9 becomes 20 weeks old, you can confidently take it out for a walk. You can skip the wait and carry them with you even earlier, however, we are writing here about a full-fledged experience.

Vaccination is the first thing that your puppy has to go through to stay healthy and to make it suitable for playing with other dogs. Obligatory vaccines will boost the immune system and keep it free of illness. Not doing this first step will leave your k9 vulnerable to disease and may even cause death in some cases.

Tags and IDs are a must when going out with your doggie in a busy and often a crowded park. RFID chips, tags and ID plates carry owner’s information which makes it easier to find it if it gets lost or runs away. Crowd and noise can be confusing and can sometimes frighten a dog. In case that you get separated, do not worry. Someone will find your pet and bring it back by seeing the tags and your contact information.

Training is the best way to discipline your k9. When they’re young, dogs are easier to train to follow commands and respond to you. You can condition them with snacks by rewarding them when they repeat or respond to a requested action. We suggest starting with the basics first. Teach them to sit, stop and come - for starters. After they successfully learn these basic ones proceed to more advanced commands training. Obedience will come in handy when you find yourselves among other pets.

Play at home first before going outside for a walk or a run. Most of the k9s, if not all, have an inherent hunting instinct. This means that they love to chase things and run to catch them. This is great because you can use fetch toys to prepare your pooch for outdoors scenarios. By playing with your pet, you will make it become outgoing and friendly towards other playful animal and people. This is a great preparation for the future experience in the parks where it can meet and play with other doggies.

Bring essential equipment every time you step outside with your pooch. It doesn’t matter if you go for the first time or some other time – going out unprepared can spell disaster for both of you. Water bottle, bags for doggie poop and leash or a harness are a must have gear for every walk! If you want you can also bring snacks and play toys too. Just be aware that you might attract the attention of other dogs with those so be prepared for some playful company too!

Adapt to the conditions out in the field. You must always act calm because your pet will react to your every move if it gets insecure or even frightened. If you notice aggression from other k9s towards you or your pet, don’t think too much – leave the area immediately while remaining calm. You do not want to spend and waste your time in areas where it is stressful. You want to go out with your pet so that you can have fun together and enjoy in those happy moments of bonding.

Proper behaviour is the last on our list but not the least important. As you expect other doggies and their owners to behave friendly and outgoing – the same goes for you and your pet too. If you don’t know the rules of behaviour – make sure you read them first at The Association of Professional Dog Trainers before venturing out. These shouldn’t be considered as being strict rules – they’re more of guidelines of proper behaviour above all. When everyone in the park behaves nice – playing in the group becomes a joyful experience for both owners and their dogs. You should also check out PetMD for more information.