Why Do We Walk the Dog?

Have you ever thought where the idea that we must walk our dog everyday comes from? The concept of dog walking has many potential starting points - King Charles, Victorian promenades, the Blitz, more leisure time etc, but since when have we been told that it is necessary? We have had dogs for thousands of years without doing it and without the many behaviour problems we can have today. Cesar Millan (the Dog Whisperer) says we must do it for hours, yet Jan Fennell (The Dog Listener) says we don't have to do it at all. Who is right and why?

Ever since the first curious wolves approached human beings, we began to co-exist for mutual benefit; partners in the hunt, and warmth in the cold. That is the way it remained until Mankind started to farm and keep animals. Even then the dogs remained as an ally, guarding the animals from predators. As we started to create breeds by selective breeding, we invented the lapdog (the Tibetan Spaniel's function was to get under a monk's robes to help him keep warm up the mountain) or carriage dogs like the Dalmatian, designed to keep up with the coach and guard it. But still no dog walking was done.

Today our lives have changed dramatically, but surely a dog is pretty much the same.

If a dog is displaying problem behaviour - is lack of exercise the reason? And why don't we worry nearly as much as to whether our cat, budgie or goldfish is getting enough cardio work? I have also noticed that dogs naturally play together, which not only is great exercise but also surely the more normal thing to do. Even children know that.

Of course, both Cesar Millan and Jan Fennell talk about leadership, which makes a lot of sense. We humans have a need for good leadership (why is the world suddenly jealous of USA again? They have a cool leader). However, like the concept of walking the dog regularly, Jan Fennell and Cesar Millan also differ on how to achieve that leadership, and I know which one I would prefer if I were the dog.

Maybe somebody can pinpoint the exact moment that humans changed so dramatically about this subject of walking the dog, although I heard about an Aborigine who, when asked if he took his dog for a walk, replied, "He's got four legs; he knows how to walk..."

Dog Listener Tony Knight has been training dogs (and their owners) for over 10 years. Get more information and a free CD on Walking Your Dog by going to Walk-Dog