The Life Changing Power of Decompression Walks

Mar 22, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Nov 6

When it comes to living with dogs in suburban or urban settings, we often forget to let them just be dogs. We tend to manage or even suppress many of their natural instincts like digging, barking, rolling in the grass, chasing squirrels, or pausing to sniff the same bush for what feels like an eternity.

... But what if we challenged our assumptions about what our dogs are supposed to do on walks?

What if we completely restructured their mental stimulation and physical exercise routines around the very behaviors that make them who they are?

That’s exactly what decompression walks are about.

My personal dogs, Rosie & Kaiser, enjoying a decompression walk at Lost Lake in Friant, CA - March 2019

What is a Decompression Walk?

Expert trainer Sarah Stremming originally coined the term "Decompression Walk" on her podcast, Cog-Dog Radio. She defines it as: "A walk where the dog is allowed freedom of movement in nature."

Decompression Walks encourage your dog to run (ideally off leash) in natural, low-pressure environments. They get to bark, dig, sniff, swim, chase, roll, climb, and explore at their own pace. There are no cues or commands, no expectations, and no “structured walk” rules.

Your only job?

To be there, stay within sight, and let your dog experience the world on their own terms. They get to lead the way and you get to let them.

“There is no way for me to explain to you the enormous benefit of the decompression walk. It will heal your dog, and it will heal you. You have to trust me and try it.”

– Sarah Stremming, The Cognitive Canine

What are the Benefits?

For many of the dogs I work with, neighborhood walks are overstimulating, stressful, and triggers reactive or fearful behavior because of constant exposure to other people, kids, passing dogs, traffic, loud noises, and other visual clutter.

All of this stimulation adds up and can lead to a buildup of stress that makes reactivity, fear, or anxiety more likely. We call this trigger stacking.

Decompression walks, on the other hand, do the opposite. They help your dog unwind and reconnect with their natural instincts, all while allowing stress levels to reset to a healthier baseline.

Here’s how:

🐾 Reduces anxiety and fear – Time in nature lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and allows the nervous system to relax.

🐾 Decreases trigger stacking – With fewer unpredictable stimuli, your dog’s stress levels stay balanced.

🐾 Builds confidence – Independent exploration fosters self-assurance and problem-solving skills.

🐾 Boosts mental stimulation – Every new scent and texture is an information goldmine for your dog’s brain.

🐾 Encourages emotional regulation – The freedom to make choices helps dogs learn self-control and resilience.

🐾 Promotes physical exercise – Running, climbing, digging, and sniffing are all full-body workouts.

🐾 Reinforces natural behaviors – Dogs get to express who they truly are.

🐾 Strengthens your bond – When you allow trust and freedom, your dog learns to check in naturally — deepening your connection.

The Science Behind the Sniff

Sniffing activates the same neural network responsible for curiosity, motivation, and exploration in a dog’s brain: the Seeking System.

When your dog engages this system, dopamine (the “happy hormone”) is released, helping regulate anxiety, reduce discomfort, and promote feelings of satisfaction.

"In other words... it helps fill the mind with interest and motivates organisms to move their bodies effortlessly in search of things they need, crave, and desire."

– Jaak Panskepp on the Seeking System, Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions

Physically, sniffing is hard work.

Dogs can breathe in and out simultaneously through different parts of their nose (how cool, right?). This allows for up to 200 breaths per minute when deeply engaged in scenting. That’s over three times a human’s respiration rate during intense exercise! It’s both a cardio workout and a mental marathon.

Decompression Walks vs Sniff Walks

While both are valuable, they’re slightly different experiences.

A Sniff Walk can happen in your neighborhood or a manicured park setting: your dog is on a long line but still within an urban or suburban environment that requires leashing.

A Decompression Walk takes place in a natural, low-traffic space like open fields, forest trails, lakesides, etc. The ultimate goal is to give your dog real freedom to move, explore, and disconnect from human noise and chaos.

Both are enriching, but decompression walks offer a deeper level of mental and emotional reset.

Our Story with Decompression Walks: It's Life Changing

My personal dogs, Rosie and Kaiser, came to me with their own behavioral challenges that presented as very opposite reactions of the Five F's.

The Five F's are uncontrollable, physiological reactions that all animals (including humans) have to scary situations. They include:

Fight - facing a real or perceived threat with aggression
Flight - fleeing from a real or perceived threat
Freeze - inability to move or act against a real or perceived threat
Fawn - appeasing to avoid conflict with a real or perceived threat
Flop - collapsing or fainting in the face of a real or perceived threat

Rosie, my sweet 40-pound bully breed mix, struggled with noise sensitivity and discomfort around strange people and dogs. She’s a classic Flight/Fawn responder.

Kaiser, my 80-pound German Shepherd, has severe fear-based reactivity and dog-directed aggression. He presents as a Fight responder.

When we started going on decompression walks regularly in 2017, the differences in the intensity of both my dog's behavioral issues was incredible. Rosie’s noise sensitivity significantly decreased. Kaiser began pausing before reacting. Their baseline stress levels dropped dramatically.

They slept better, trained better, and became more affectionate and connected.

They were calmer. Happier. More themselves. And truthfully? So was I.

Decompression walks didn’t just heal my dogs - they healed our relationship.

I'm in - How Do I Get Started with my Dog?

Gear up! You'll need...

A well fitted, y-shaped harness - I usually recommend the Blue-9 Balance Harness, but any y-shaped harness will do
A 30+ foot long line leash - I really like the biothane lines from High Tail Hikes because they're super durable and easy to clean - Any leash longer than 6 feet should stay attached to the back clip of your dog's harness, NEVER the front chest clip or a collar around the neck
Gear for visibility
- If you're going to be in areas with tall grass, brush, or heavy tree lines, it's a great idea to prioritize visibility of your dog. Using bright hunting vests, reflective collars, or neon bandanas are recommended options.

Any leash longer than 6 feet should stay attached to the back clip of your dog's harness, NEVER the front chest clip or a collar around the neck.

Next, find somewhere to go!

If you're local to me in the Central Valley, pretty much anywhere along the San Joaquin River is a great option. We also have a ton of small lakes. My personal favorites are Lost Lake, Avocado Lake, and Millerton Lake.

Throwing "rivers and lakes near me" into the Google search bar is bound to yield some decent results.

You can also search SniffSpots. If you've never heard of this before, it's basically AirBnb for dog walks. People can list their yard or properties for you to rent to allow your dog off leash time. There's some pretty cool places to explore.

AllTrails or other hiking websites provide some great natural setting options tailored yours and your dog's physical fitness levels.

I also recently saw someone suggest looking at Google Earth, finding the big green patches in your area, and doing some research on what kind of terrain is in that area.

If you decide to try a Decompression Walk, e-mail me or tag me in your pictures and/or videos on Instagram! @AgapeDogsCo

Go create a well-rounded, happy, relaxed dog!