“I have been walking my dog for six years,” says Kaityln Dermody, a 16 year-old dog owner herself. As a Leonberger owner, a 140 pound dog, she understands that dogs must be walked daily to obtain a healthy lifestyle. She enjoys walking her leonberger, on average their walks last 15-20 minutes. 

Dogs love nature and all the smells that are in the environment, that's what gets them so excited. With all of the excitement that comes with walking your dog, when on a busy road or any other road it is important to have control over your dog. With the natural instinct in a dog they must run after it and capture it. To prevent them from actually injuring you or the dog, when you see the car coming from a distance, you want to command your and repeat “Leave it” this command might need some practice, but with a slight tug on the leash this will beguile the dog and allow the dog to focus on something else rather than chasing cars. 

It is important to have all of the correct gear when walking your dog, for you the owner it is important to dress appropriately and to be prepared for anything that might happen. Quality tennis shoes to comfort your feet while walking. Dress for the weather as well, have a coat that is accessible and possibly a hat for when it gets sunny outside. For the dog make sure he has a quality leash, poop bags, and for when it gets cold outside even booties for your dog's paws. Any brand works for these kinds of materials, you can find these materials on amazon, your local pet store, or Walmart and Target. 

There are many reasons why you should walk your dog. Socialization for dogs is also very important. Without socialization your dog will struggle to be kind with other dogs and other people. Walking allows for dogs to be social and meet new people. Exploring new environments is important for dogs to smell new things and different situations. To prevent your dog from not liking other dogs, it is important to start socialization from them when they are puppies.