Beyond the Walk: Rethinking Movement, Enrichment & Agency with Niki French

About this episode

This episode challenges the conventional belief that walking dogs is always beneficial, exploring alternative methods to meet their needs.

Walking our dogs has become one of those unquestioned “shoulds” of dog guardianship. But what if it’s not always the most supportive choice? In this conversation with dog trainer and behaviour consultant, Niki French, we gently challenge the idea that going for a walk is always the best thing for our dogs—and explore what it really means to meet the needs of the dog in front of us. We dive into ACE Free Work , developed by Sarah Fisher - a practice that might look simple on the surface, but offers something profound underneath: A way for our dogs to be , rather than perform. Through thoughtfully designed setups using everyday objects, ACE Free Work allows dogs to: Move at their own pace Make choices without pressure Process their environment Regulate their nervous system Communicate in ways we often miss in more structured settings We explore how this work can be especially supportive for: Dogs who find walks overwhelming or dysregulating Dogs recovering from surgery or injury Guardians who want to better understand behaviour beyond labels We also talk about the intention behind Don’t Walk Your Dog Day happening on April 2nd - a gentle disruption of the idea that going for a walk…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Alexia Mellor

Guest: Niki French

Topics covered

• dog training
• movement
• enrichment
• dog behavior
• canine agency
• pet care

Keywords

• dog walking
• canine enrichment
• dog behavior
• ACE Free Work
• Niki French
• pet guardianship
• Don’t Walk Your Dog Day

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ACE Free Work

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