What you should know about walking a shelter dog

Taking a shelter dog for a walk is certainly beneficial for the dog as well as for you. Every dog needs at least 30 minutes of exercise every day and shelters usually don’t have enough people to ensure that. Thus, volunteers are more than welcome to participate in this activity, and some of them do so regularly. The volunteer can be someone who loves dogs but can’t have one at home or simply someone who wants to help. Either way, it is an activity which both you and the dog will enjoy. If you are about to try that, there are a few things you should know.

Every animal shelter has its rules. Therefore, it is necessary to search for the information beforehand. You can visit their website or just make a call. They should inform you about times when you can come to visit the shelter and also about their rules. There can be some restrictions, for example, forbidding children from walking a dog, etc.

Shelter dogs are not usually used to going out often like other dogs, so think about the time, you are going to spend with them. Usually, 20 minutes is not enough time and coming back too soon could be disappointing for the pet.

Every dog has its own needs, some can get tired easily, while others are never lacking energy, so it's better to ask the shelter employee for advice. While walking a shelter dog, you are fully responsible for it. Never let them out of a leash and be careful around other people, especially kids.

The last thing that should be taken into consideration is building a relationship with a particular dog. Coming to see the same dog regularly can be advantageous for very shy dogs and can help to ease their stress. The disadvantage could be a fixation on a particular person. The dog could be unable to get used to another person when being adopted. Just keep in mind that a dog’s love is unconditional and breaking the relationship can be very painful for them.