🇬🇧 Observing your dog’s limits

Continuing to talk about the energy expenditure of dogs, which we mentioned in the previous text about the advantages of daily walks with your dog, it is important to know the needs of each breed and observe them daily to realise their limits. Most crossbred dogs, mixed breed, in Brazil, have a profile of high need for exercise and physical activity, observable by their long, tapered muzzle. Generally, the Kennel Club website in your country must have the standard for each breed, physical and behavioural characteristics. Knowing this pattern you avoid acquiring an animal with needs that you are not willing to meet. On a day-to-day basis, you can observe your dog's behaviour on walks and when you return home and adjust the length of the walks according to the signs that the animal gives.

If you have no experience with dogs, I will share some personal experiences that can be helpful in understanding these signs, although it is possible that your dog's signs are different. I love sharing my experiences with my dogs (and cats) so that novice tutors can learn a little from them. If you want to share your experiences with the signals your dog gives regarding energy expenditure and walks or clarify doubts about the subject, use the comments. For questions, leave your financial contribution on our Ko-Fi profile.

One of my experiences was with a medium sized grey poodle named Nick that I had when I was about 20 years old. I liked hanging out with him, and Montes Claros, where I used to live at that time, is very hot. I went for a walk in the late afternoon, but it wasn't much cooler than a walk at midday. And the city is not one of the most wooded (I've already talked about Montes Claros in other texts on this site). And Nick was my partner for long walks (an hour at most, but given his size and the infernal heat of the city, they were long). Once, in the heat, he laid down under the shade of a tree to get some rest. We were already on our way home. At that time I didn't have much idea of ​​how to take good care of a dog because it was mine to the hilt, I didn't know anything about vaccines. Castration and responsible ownership were things I only discovered much later, in 2004. And writing a text on a social network this week I remembered this situation and reflected that a tutor living in Montes Claros or any hot city anywhere in the world should bring water to the dog drinking during the walk. And walk at night, if possible, to avoid burning your pet's paws. This I didn't do because both my street and the one below were very dark at night in places that I had to cover on the sidewalks and, as I said, I was still quite ignorant.

Another case of observing the animal's limits happened with my last dog so far. It was a lhasa-apso that I adopted as an adult and already had information about being a responsible tutor. As he was a bully with other male dogs, sometimes I avoided the squares in the neighbourhood and went for a walk on other routes at times that had many dogs in the squares. And he loved it. I had to keep in mind that we had a way back whenever we ventured into new paths and I always managed to keep a tolerable limit for it. The signs he gave me after the walk that this one was a little too long or that it took too much effort were drinking a lot of water when we arrived (to know this you must be aware of how much your dog normally drinks), and lie down in the parts of the house with ceramic floors, cooler, with the belly down, to rest (I've never had a heated floor in Brazil, until now). On normal days he would lie down next to me, and he didn't always drink water when we arrived (it also depended on when he drank water before leaving).

Dogs are very partners with the owner, so if yours has stopped, respect that. I see tutors who don't even respect when the dog stops to sniff trees and posts and pee. It takes a dose of sensitivity to have a dog or cat. Even greater sensitivity than necessary to have a child, as a 5-year-old child already communicates with indisputable clarity about their physiological needs, fears, etc., even though some emotionally immature parents are negligent in listening to and respecting the children's needs.

This text is already quite long, I will soon post a text with similarities and differences that I notice between having dogs or cats and having children.

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Nycka, the Nomad