Thank for the replies peeps. Yes my dog has had all his vaccinations done and is protected. I just thought i was doing something wrong because sometimes i would let him sniff and other times i would not. But its good to know some of you guys do that aswell.

He is well behaved considering he is still a puppy he knows when to continue walking and when to stop, i was taught that at one of the puppy classes we went to.

Anyways thanks for you're comments guys really appreciated, speak soon http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Walking the dog question...
 

Just a general question.

When im walking my dog around my area he tends to like sniffing telegraph poles and so on, im guessing its because other dogs have marked there territory on it.

The question is do i wait for him to sniff and do what he does or do i just keep walking forcing him to walk aswell?

I don't mind the sniffing. They can tell so much from that sniff. I call it reading the Doggie Daily News. I don't see anything wrong with letting dogs get a sniff as long as they are UTD on vaccines and heartworm and know that the human walking them decides if/when to stop and when to keep moving.

Does your dog have all its shots? Always be careful what they are sniffing as that's an easy way to catch diseases. My friends rottweiler got a staff infection from sniffing another dogs poop once!
Also make sure they aren't drinking from puddles either

i let my dogs sniff once in a while, but when i want to go, theyre going.

I rarely let my dogs stop and sniff, walks are for walking and covering ground, I might let them sniff 1 tree outa 200 we pass, if I let them sniff I don't let them sniff till they are done and they don't mind, they know when I move on we all move on.

When we walk, its usually a sort of 'power' walk. I will let the dogs sniff around, but not for more then a few seconds. They are usually pretty good about keeping with me, but sometimes I've been jerked to a stop when they suddenly smell something REALLY interesting.

Some days we take it slower and I let them sniff whatever they want.

Unless I have something to do after a walk, I don't really mind the sniffing. I let them sniff for a good amount of time, but if they don't seem to want to move I will continue on the walk and they don't hesitate to come with me http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Personal preference but the vast majority of the time, i don't let them sniff. On a walk, I like them to be at my side with their head up.

I try to keep my dogs focused on the "job" whatever that may be.

You know, I always think back on something I read. I really can't remember what it was, it was SO long ago...I think it was back before I even knew Gypsy existed, so over six years ago.

Anyway, it was something about being in such a hurry and not even having the time to let your dog sniff the flowers, as it were. It stuck with me for some reason, lol.

LOL! Libby that is so cute...just makes me laugh because I am the total opposite...at least on a walk. I think it's because I walk them more with the intention of getting them exercise. I left them sniff in the yard and such if they are just hanging out...but on a walk, I am a little bit more of a drill sergeant. http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/wink.png

My dogs are also tricky because they seem to always sniff with the intention of picking something up and eating it...usually something inedible haha.

Yea thats what Bear does, if I let him sniff, its usually because he wants to eat whatever he smelled, mainly pine cones and sticks lol

Oh I hear that. Marsha is AWFUL about that. My dogs know the 'leave it' command pretty well, but I'm sure if given a chance they'd scarf up something that smelled nice!

Thats how I look at it. They are getting upto date on whats been happening.

The walk is for the dogs benefit more than mine so I indulge her up to a point but when I say walk she walks.

I walk them at MY pace. I do let them have sniff time, but it's when I let them. I hate seeing a dog soooo crazy about smells that they pull the owner non-stop, drag the owner to a smell or will not stop sniffing and must be dragged away. My dogs know "lets go", I say it then I'm gone, a dog sniffing and not paying attention will a "self-correction".

Right, the best words I taught Bear is "leave it" otherwise I would be picking sticks, pine cones, cig butts, and anything else out of his mouth ever two seconds

When we do take them for walks ^^^ this is exactly what we do to. At a certain amount of time (say 30mins into the walk) we will stop in an area for rest, sniffing, going potty, getting a drink, etc. This lasts no longer than 5mins and right back to walking with the head up... no pulling but next to or behind us.

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------

And one reason we don't let them sniff is not only because of diseases in other dogs feces, etc. but there's a lot of garbage on the streets.... We've came across some nasty stuff like a used diaper and needle for example.