Taking walks with your dog and your baby or toddler is a wonderful idea. Your child can get some new stimulation and your dog can get some exercise. But if your dog is not used to walking with a stroller, it can be stressful (for you and your dog).
Worry not! Read on, for some straightforward tips on how to walk dog with stroller.
How to Walk dog with stroller
Training your dog to walk with a stroller takes time and patience, and that’s it. You simply need to:
- get your dog used to the stroller
- use the right leash
- maintain control
- educate your toddlers
To start off with, be sure that your dog is leash trained. If your dog is not leash trained, do not try to do it while getting your dog used to the stroller. If you do need to leash train, check out these best dog collars for help.
Otherwise, the rest of this article assumes your dog is leash trained.
Read our related article on How to Train Your Dog Around Your Toddler for more training tips and tricks!
Get Your Dog used to the stroller
The first thing to do is get your dog used to the stroller. This is best done before you ever go on a walk.
Try putting the stroller in your living room. Let your dog smell it and get accustomed to it. Then move it around the room and a little a time until your dog calms down and is not afraid of the stroller.
Next, take your dog for a walk with the stroller when it is empty. If you take your baby or toddler along for the first trip, that may add to your apprehension or stress, which is not helpful.
Your dog can sense your stress and in turn, may respond with anxiety. Limit that kind of interaction with your dog as much as you can.
Use a standard leash size
When it comes to walking their dogs, many pet owners make the mistake of allowing them excessive liberty with their leash. Retractable leashes are very popular due to their adaptability.
Retractable leashes can be lengthened, which is great because it is just you and your dog. It allows your dog the opportunity to explore. But when walking with a stroller, you don’t want your dog to have that opportunity.
Keeping your dog close to the stroller makes it easier to manage both stroller and dog. The standard leash size is 6 feet, which is perfect for stroller walking.
Don’t Attach Your Dog to the Stroller
It is never a good idea to attach your dog to the stroller, no matter how well trained they are. Some could entice or spook your dog causing him to run. Then you are in a tug of war with your dog with the stroller in the middle.
Or worse, the dog could yank the stroller out of your hands if you don’t have a strong enough grip.
It is easy to avoid these possibilities. Keep the leash in your hand at all times.
Educate Your Kids on Walk Protocol
This applies if you have a toddler or 3 to 4 aged child in your stroller. Educate your kids on what to do and what not to do with your dog.
It is best to limit distractions for your dog as much as possible. Given that set some ground rules for your kids not to:
- pull the dog’s tail
- hit the dog with a toy
- throw a ball for the dog
Instead, you can give your kids some positive things to do like say, “Good dog!” Or they could gently pat your dog a couple of times.
Choose The Right Times to take walk with your dog
Find a quiet time of the day to walk your dog with your kids in the stroller, especially at first. You may even want to choose routes where there will be less traffic or fewer people out and about.
This is really only at first. Once your dog gets used to the stroller, and once your kids get used to having the family dog along you can probably venture into busier areas.
Final Thoughts
Walks with the family dog can be enjoyable excursions for the whole family. Just be sure to give your dog lots of praise for getting used to the stroller and walking with it calmly. With a little time and patience, you could have many enjoyable outings ahead.
