GUIDE ?7 must-have products to bring on your dog walks

Walks are more than just exercise for your dog.

They’re opportunities to bond, to communicate, and to share memories as you’re both exploring the environment.

To make the walk a positive experience, you can bring and use certain equipment and food. They keep your dog safe, allow you to provide enrichment opportunities, and reinforce behaviors that encourage them to walk nicely by your side.

Having worked on Windy’s loose leash walking skills for over a year, I’ve used different equipment and food to help her to choose to walk without pulling or lunging on leash. I’ve rounded these up in today’s post to give you some ideas of what to bring on your next dog walk.

? The products in this list won’t magically teach your dog to walk on a loose leash. They’re meant to enhance or supplement your loose leash walking training.

01: 6-foot leash or longer

I’ve tried leashes of different lengths and find that a 6-foot leash is the most ideal length when walking your dog in areas where they can’t always walk farther from you (for example: your neighborhood or the mall). A 6-foot leash lets you walk your dog with as little leash pressure as possible while keeping them closer to you.

Your local pet store may have 6-foot long leashes for sale, so I recommend checking them out first.

There are also plenty of brands that make or sell leashes of this length, so if you have a brand that you’re interested in buying from, feel free to ask.

02: 20-30 feet long leash

Use a long line (20-30 feet) if you’re working on recall or reinforcing your dog for choosing to walk by your side. The length keeps your dog from feeling any leash pressure and stay safe while you’re working on their loose leash walking skills. I also recommend using a long line when letting your dog go on a sniffari, play with other dogs in a non-fenced area, or enjoy some freedom while on the walk.

Where to buy:

• Generic long leash (Shopee Philippines)
• Four Paws cotton leash 30 feet (Philippines)
• Staple Crafts training leash (Singapore)
• High Tail Hikes long lines (USA)

03: Back-clip and front-clip harness

I don’t walk any of my dogs with a leash clipped to their collar anymore.

The pressure and force from pulling towards distractions can cause serious damage to the dog’s trachea.

I suggest teaching your dog to wear a comfortable harness with a back clip and front clip. These will help you manage your dog in case they start pulling hard or reacting to triggers in the environment.

I prefer H harnesses or Y harnesses over step-in, no-pull, or mesh harnesses because they don’t always need your dog to insert their heads into the harness. They’re also designed to put little to no pressure on the dog’s chest and front limbs.

Where to buy:

• Balance H harness by Blue-9 Pet Products (USA)
• Haqihana H harness (Italy)
• Zee.dog H harness via Pet Warehouse (Philippines)

04: Treat pouch

A handy treat pouch lets you bring your dog’s favorite treats ?, waste bags, and your essentials like keys or phone. This is a must-have if you want to reinforce your dog for desirable behaviors while on your walk, like choosing to come to you or walk beside you.

Where to buy:

• Generic treat pouch (Shopee Philippines)
• Wildebeest Alamo treat pouch (USA)
• Doggone Good! Rapid Rewards pouch (Amazon)
• AkraCreations horizontal treat bags (USA)

05: Silicone treat pouch

If you use wet or sticky food reinforcers, or if you’d like to bring your dog’s raw food on the walk, a silicone treat pouch makes it super easy to carry the food and wash right after use.

Where to buy:

• Generic pet silicone treat pouch (Shopee)
• The Trainers Pouch (Australia)

06: Soft and smelly treats

Your dog’s reinforcers can come in many forms: food, toys, praise, and more.

For a lot of dogs, food can already be a huge source of reinforcement. In your treat pouch, store a good number of soft and smelly treats your dog can quickly smell, chew, and swallow.

If your dog can take their breakfast or dinner while on a walk, you can use those as well. You want to make sure the amount of food you take on walks make up a portion of your dog’s daily calories to prevent obesity.

?If you’re working in a very distracting environment (for example: lots of traffic, people walking dogs, stray animals), check that your reinforcers are more valuable to your dog that they’ll choose to turn away from all the above when you call their attention.

Where to buy:

• Aspin Approved – Use AAWINDY10 to get 10% off your order
• Bonapawtit
• Bonapetreat
• Barkery on 10th
• Koira.ph

07: Travel bowl

When Windy and Brooklyn had to slow down and lie on the concrete because of heat and lack of water, I brought a travel bowl on walks. I suggest bringing a bottle of water and a silicone bowl that’s easy to fold if your walks are usually long or require lots of energy, like a hike or a walk mixed with agility or high-intensity exercise.

Where to buy:

• Wildebeest Montara pop-up bowl (USA)
• Play Safe travel bowl (USA)
• Zippy Paws adventure bowl (USA)

What are your must-haves when on a dog walk?

Your walk with your dog will always be unique and special to the both of you. Feel free to share other items you’d usually bring on walks, or equipment or food that differ from what’s in this list.