Tempo

Tempo, pace, speed, energy…. call it what you want.

It is all about finding the correct balance.

Push too hard for too long and it doesn’t feel good, whilst lethargy only breeds more lethargy.

For the dogs on our Adventures we try to optimize this balance.

Normally by the time we are parking up by the woods the dogs are buzzing. Quite often they are literally shaking with excitement and wanting to burst out and use up that energy.

But as with young children, too much excitement and too much energy all at once can lead to tears and frustration.

Therefore we need to ensure that we have the dogs’ attention before we let them run free. Eye contact or responding to a command is normally enough. We just want to make sure that, despite the energy, they are still listening.

If they pass these tests then they are off to play.

And it is the same procedure if we see that a dog gets a little over excited mid-walk. We simply call them over, give them a task or two, maybe 1-2 minutes on lead just to calm their racing heart… and then whoosh, they are off.

It is amazing how many problems can be avoided by using these ever so brief time-outs. They are by no means a form of punishment or restriction, more a refreshment stop and reset.

Doggies: Biscuit, Lucy and Lottie