Dogs need a Little Freedom! Giving them the space to make decisions.

Maisie, on a leash, walks down to the end of our driveway. She looks left, then right and decides to go right.
So off we go to the right, Maisie, our Chihuahua-Terrier, in the lead, and Toby, our Great Pyrenees, faithfully trailing behind.
For years (decades?) I, as the human, decided which direction we would take. I mean, come on, I’m smarter than our dogs, and where I go, they will follow. Right?
It’s a small thing but a big misunderstanding.
I recently read a wonderful book, “Dog Smart-Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence,” by the science writer and dog lover Jennifer S. Holland. It is a great overview of the breakthroughs and discoveries in canine science over the last twenty years.
From Assistance Dogs to dogs who can sniff out cancer and COVID, to dogs who search for lost humans, to a dog that specializes in finding Killer Whale poop on the open ocean, (done to research the health of Killer Whale pods) to our current state of the companion dog, it is an astonishing tale of the intelligence and versatility of Canis Familiaris. Think of this: When we are with each other, our blood pressure drops, and petting lowers our stress response.
Based on her research, Holland has recommendations. Most revolve around letting dogs be dogs and understanding they have an intelligence that science is just beginning to grasp.
That brings us back to why I now let Maisie lead the way on our walks.
It’s about giving dogs agency, that is giving a dog the ability and space to make her or his own decisions.
Now, granted this is a paradox. On one hand, as guardians, our task is to keep our dogs safe. Having lost a dog to a run-in with a car, I’m obsessed with safety. Because we live primarily in urban and suburban areas, and even in rural areas with roads, cars, and UPS trucks, we need to limit the amount of “agency” we give our dogs. For example, letting a dog run loose, something they no doubt desire, is confined to dog parks or the occasional (and magical) opportunity to let a dog run free in the mountains or other open spaces.
For most of a dog’s life in our era, it means leashes, fenced-in yards, and being let in and out of the house.
Given these constraints, how can we give our pups more agency and the ability to make choices?
I have three ideas.
First, as we’ve begun to do with Maisie and Toby, let them pick the walk. If your dog nudges you towards the car, maybe because she wants to go somewhere new, indulge her occasionally. More simply, let her pick the path of your normal daily walk.
Next, remember that dogs live in a world of scent. Build in time on walks to allow them to smell what they want to smell and mark when they want to mark. Think of walks as less of a fitness or “have to do” thing and more of the best part of the day for your dog. For them, it’s all about exploration and discovery. There are so many smells!
Next, pause a minute when you come home from work and have the impulse to run to your dog for a hug. Let your pup decide whether or not to come to you. Some dogs will jump up and want to be hugged, others are more “meh,” and some don’t like the feeling of being hugged and unable to get loose. Let them make the decision.
From ten-thousand feet, if you think about it, we bring dogs into our lives and try to make them conform to our habits and routines: When they go out, when they eat, when they walk, when they nap, and when there is playtime. What your dog’s desires are become secondary to ours.
In the name of allowing your dog more agency, we can all examine where there are opportunities, small and large, to give our canines more choice. What a great holiday present!
Lastly, because it is the end of a tumultuous year, I want to acknowledge what a miracle it is to have co-evolved with another species over more than 20,000 years. As in all true partnerships, we need each other to thrive. A life without a dog would certainly be less. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and have a joyous holiday.
Woof!

Hersch’s latest book, “Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Stuff” from our Best Friends is avaliable at bookstores and online.