The Power of Nature

When you book a session with me I send you an intake form with quite a lot of questions about your dog. The questions range from the obvious like their age, breed, where you got them from, to fun things like their 3 favourite and least favourite things, to their day to day life, medical history, and of course the behaviour problem you are seeking help with. One question is “how often does your dog get to be in nature?” After getting answers like “every day, we have nice walking paths in our neighbourhood,” I expanded it to include “as in a trail through a wooded area or open field outside of city.” Most often the answer is “rarely.”

I ask this question because we know that not unlike humans, being in nature allows dogs to decompress. It lowers stress levels, reduces anxiety, and allows them a bit more of an opportunity to do “doggie things,” which increases their overall wellbeing.

Last weekend this really hit me. I’ve known it all along, felt it in my soul, I’ve experienced it time and time again with myself, my own dogs, and with dogs I’m working with. But revisiting an old stomping ground provided me with some clarity on the concept.

When I adopted Duchess she was really shut down. Keep in mind that at the time I knew nothing about behaviour or training. She loved a hidey hole, a small safe space. At home she spent her time in my closet or under my desk. I’d have to push and pull her up 2 flights of stairs to get her outside for a pee. In the car she often smushed herself on the floor behind the front seats.

I kept my horse at a stable outside of the city where we were very fortunate to have access to probably about 80 acres of private trails. There were rolling hills, a more open grassy area with a pond for swimming and splashing, lots of trees with wide groomed trails as well as little animal trails to explore.

Duchess, a few months after adoption running to her heart’s content.

I’d only had Duchess for a few days before I took her out to the barn with me. I was told I should give her more time to settle in at home before taking her somewhere else. Wait for her to bond with me a bit. I knew this was probably correct but I was eager for my friends to meet her, so off we went. I did not regret it. I’ll never forget the moment she hit those trails. She came to life. The despondent dog who hid in my closet, the one who would get to the end of the driveway and shake, who needed to be pushed and pulled out of the car- that dog came to life. Her eyes lit up, her usual nervous pant became a full mouth smile, she shook off all the stress and anxiety she’d be holding onto, and she ran. She ran so fast she would fall on her face as her front legs could not keep up with her back ones. She’d get up, shake it off, and take off running again. She ran so fast the dirt flew out behind her. She’d run straight ahead then whip back around towards me, circle around me and run back down the trail again. She rolled. She rolled for the love of rolling. She rolled because it just felt good. She rolled in the dirt, in the grass, in the wetlands to cool off, and in everything stinky. She’d roll and shake and and run some more. She sniffed to her heart’s content. She never strayed too far from me.

I remember going home and telling my parents what she was like at the barn. They just couldn’t believe it. This dog? Are we talking about the same dog here? She couldn’t have been more different in the two environments. In the barn she still liked her hidey hole. She’d manage to curl up among horse blankets and tack in the locker room and wait until it was time to go for another walk, or home. But in nature, her body and spirit were free.

It’s been 9 years since I had my horse at that stable. I’ve boarded at plenty of stables but none have as special a place in my heart as that one, because of Duchess and what it did for her. Last weekend I visited this stable for an event they hosted, and that’s where all this is coming from. Looking at the trail head, I was reminded of what being in nature did for Duchess, and despite encouraging clients to get their dogs into nature more often, I don’t think I’ve been able to get across how important it can really be. Without those trials, I doubt I ever would have seen Duchess’ true colours. To never see that grin? That oddly long tongue hanging out the side of her mouth as she look at me, covered in dirt and water, happy as anything. To never see her run just for joy of running? To not see her coming straight at me, full speed, only to duck around me at the last second, spin and run again? What an absolute tragedy that would have been.

With some of her doggie friends, all but 1 are now at rainbow bridge together.

In nature Duchess could be herself. And she was so silly. It’s where she learned to play- that someone tossing a ball or a stick was something fun, not something to be scared of. Where she learned the joys of splashing in water on a warm day, instead of being worried about it. Where she was comfortable and confident enough to make new doggie and human friends. Where this really scared, anxious, shut down dog with PTSD-like symptoms could forget whatever trauma she had experienced and find joy in life. And that in turn brought me immense joy. This trickled down into life away from the barn too. She was more comfortable in the house, happier getting out of the car no matter where we were, and generally less anxious.

Our cities, even a quiet suburb, is still far from nature where dogs are intended to be. They’re full of unnatural sounds, sights, and smells. It is not long ago that dogs were free ranging, their lives full of autonomy, social interactions, and opportunities to express natural behaviours. An elephant’s natural habitat is the savannah. A crocodile’s is beside a river or wetland, a bear roams mountains or forests. In captivity the animal’s natural habitat should be replicated as closely as possible. The animal should have opportunities to express behaviours they would do in the wild. If not then we see things we call stereotypical behaviours: pacing, swaying, weaving. We see aggression, frustration, helplessness. What about humans? “The mountains are calling and I must go” is seen on shirts and posters. It resonates with a lot of us. It can be argued that the camping trips many of us look forward to are us returning to nature, where at our core is where we are meant to be. In nature we decompress, destress, relax, reenergize.

So what about dogs? A dog in our home is a captive animal. A lot of them have been bred for very specific tasks and behaviours. When we don’t give them appropriate outlets, autonomy, or opportunities to express behaviours they have been bred to do, what happens? Most experts will agree that we are seeing an increase in “behaviour problems” in our pet dogs.

Duchess never would walk around a neighbourhood. She’d freeze, sometimes shake. I ended up giving up as not only was Duchess far happier in nature, I realized I really didn’t enjoy walking on a concrete sidewalk hearing dogs barking in their houses and vehicles going by either. Dutch also taught me that nature improved my quality of life.

I heard Kim Brophy, an ethologist, suggest that what has happened to a lot of pet dogs is similar to what is happening with children. She referenced Richard Louv’s book The Last Child in the Woods which discusses “nature deficit disorder” in children. It’s a book that has been on my shelf for a decade that I have no picked up! Maybe now I will. Anxiety and depression are on the rise in children and teenagers, with research telling us that not enough free play outside (as well as social media, screen time… we could go on and on) is a significant factor. We can’t deny the same could be true for dogs.

Molly, my current Dogue de Bordeaux, enjoying some time in nature safe on a long line.

So what can you do? I’m certainly not saying set your dog free. I’m definitely keeping mine close! I’m also not saying let them loose in public- we have leash laws for good reason and as an owner of a reactive dog, encountering loose dogs is a huge problem. I am sure your dog loves cuddling in bed with you, giving puppy dog eyes until you share your pizza with her, walking the neighbourhood with you, and playing tug in the yard. But I do think our dogs need to be in nature as often as possible. And I think a harness and long line keeps them safe while providing them with a chance to do doggie things. To sniff and explore and zig zag. To run a bit, and roll in something stinky, to watch a bird or chase a squirrel up a tree.

Some specific ideas: look at Google maps and just see what natural areas you can find. Take a drive and check it out. Download the SniffSpot app where you pay a small fee to rent out someone’s farm or acreage and not have to worry about encountering someone else. Most cities have private off leash areas (around Edmonton we have Laneway Gateway, Awesome Pawsome, and Doglandia to name a few). Edmonton also has a great river valley trail system. If you are limited in where you can go for whatever reason, most areas have a decently large park where you can walk off of the main path and explore some smaller trails or let your dog sniff around an open field without the sound of traffic. Especially if you have a fearful or anxious dog, time in nature can do wonders for them. I think a lot of people would enjoy experiencing watching their dog do -almost- whatever it is they feel like doing. I think, like I have experienced myself, a lot of people would equally reap the benefits of being in nature with their dog.

Duchess and Marlowe, years after our private stable days, still enjoying some free time in nature.