I read a blog post the other day about how we humans handle our mobile phones in combination with dogs and/or children. The blog has nothing whatsoever to do with either children or dogs, so I'm not even going to bother linking there – but the question remains and is also more than relevant. In the same way, some dogs' noses are as if glued to the hill, we have our own noses stuck in the phones – constant.
I do not think that dogs and alcohol go together. Nor dogs and any form of violence. I also don't think that dogs are related to petting in any way.
In the same way I don't think dogs and active use of mobile phones on walks go together.
When I got hands on my first smartphone I was thrilled. It was awesome, and I got involved far more than necessary. However, it didn't take long before I realized that it doesn't work for me at all when Ella and I were out together. It was enough to answer when someone called, then Ella began to take liberties and invent things on the leash.
What happens is that my attention is split and I become unfocused on what I'm doing. Should I walk my dog?, I leave without taking the phone out of my pocket. Does it ring, or if I want to take a picture or do something else, I stop and bring my dog in to my side. I do what I have to, then I put the phone in my pocket and continue walking.
Therefore I will be so fascinated when I see all these people out with the dog(s)., where the dogs proudly walk first with their heads held high and the man walks further behind with his neck bent over his phone. I don't know if it's me being old and generally stupid in the head who doesn't understand what it is that is so important that you have to concentrate more on your phone than taking a hopefully enjoyable walk with your dog.
What happens when you get involved in the phone, you lose focus on what is, at least in my eyes, much more important – the dog and keeping it in order. Keeping the dog in order does not have to mean constant corrections, but it means that you know what it's up to and can control a situation before it gets nasty. A terrible situation can consist of the dog starting to bark like crazy, starts to tear and pull on the leash because it saw something you yourself missed because you had all your attention on the mobile.
I really can not respond to how others see their role when it comes to dog walking, but for me the walk is something I do together with my dog. My dog is not a human, so I don't go and have a constant dialogue, but we walk together and I prefer that it be enjoyable for both of us. If the dog feels that I am unfocused and unengaged, it will not be pleasant for him, which also applies in the other direction. If the dog is unfocused and unengaged in me, walking together will not be very fun.
That's why I think that it is important to be able to put aside your involvement in the mobile phone during the time you are out with your dog. The time you are out is not just about the dog getting to fulfill its needs and reading the dog magazine, but it should be both comfortable and pleasant for both parties. Walking with your dog is shopping (for me, in all cases) largely about relationship building, and I think it's worth investing time, focus and commitment on.