Has Your Dog Hijacked Your Wardrobe? (The Reality of the "Dog Walking Coat") by Anna Hope
When you first get a dog, nobody gives you a fair warning about what is actually going to happen to your wardrobe.
You start out with grand ideas of crisp morning walks in your favorite clothes. But fast forward a few months, and the reality looks a little bit different. Nice handbags get permanently swapped for treat pouches and durable cross-body dog walk bags.
And then, there's the legendary "good coat."
You know the one. It used to be your stylish, go-to winter jacket. Now? It permanently smells like a mixture of dried liver, pond water, and wet mud. If you look closely at the bottom of your washing machine, you will constantly find rogue bits of kibble. And it is physically impossible for you to put your hands into a single pocket without pulling out at least three rolled-up poo bags, a half-crumbled cube of cheddar, or an old tennis ball.
Why Are Our Pockets Full of Cheese?
The glamour might be well and truly gone, but there is a very good reason we end up looking like mobile pet shops when we leave the house.
Training a happy, responsive family dog means being ready to reward good choices the exact second they happen. If you're working on a solid recall, trying to stop your dog from lunging at a passing cyclist, or teaching them to focus on you around distractions on a busy field in Rugby, you need the good stuff. And you need it within arm's reach.
So yes, your coat might be ruined, and you might find yourself standing in the local supermarket checkout queue accidentally pulling out a loose sprat instead of your car keys. But every single piece of crumbling cheese in your pocket is a deposit into your dog's training bank account.
We wouldn't change them for the world!
Is your coat permanently ruined too? > Half the battle of stress-free walks is just knowing how to use those treats effectively so you don't have to carry a buffet with you forever! If you're struggling to get your dog's attention outside without constantly waving cheese at them, I'd love to help you get those walks back on track.
Pop me a message over HERE —let's get your dog listening to you, not just your pockets! 🐾