Road walk or field walk?

I'm here to tell you both are good, and for a range of reasons.

Yes they both have their pros and cons. They both have their places in a dogs life.

I sometimes actually prefer walking my reactive dog on the road, why you ask? There is more control, i'm not going to be ambushed by out of control off lead dogs. If i have a dog coming towards me i can just cross the road. Road walking still has lots of sniffs that my dog can do, and it can be generally better for them physically as doesn't impact their joints too much or put their body out.

Obviously with field walking it can be more enriching, you have more space and freedom. You can play with your dog, and probably walk for a lot longer. But you do risk getting ambushed by other off lead dogs, and even if your dog is friendly they may not 100% enjoy it!

A dog on a walk

I like to mix up everyday what kind of walks my dogs have. They have adventure walks on weekends where they get taken somewhere different, we keep it fun and interesting. Whether its the beach, the woods, a different field or a country estate. During the week i will switch up between road walking and field walking, sometimes it will depend on what time i have or dependent on the weather. Road walking i can guarantee i'm not going to get muddy if we have rain. Field walking i tend to do longer walks.

I feel that a dog should be able to do both, by road walking they can learn how to appropriately walk on a lead and practice. Field walks they have a bit more freedom and is perfect for recall practice. I am lucky where i live that my local field is only a short 5 minute walk away, so it does mean i can do 2 in 1 if i really want to. But i do think it is really important to mix both up.

If you have a dog that is only ever field walked, but then has to be put on strict lead walks it may come to that their field walks become too overwhelming or they get frustrated by having to stay on the lead in their favourite place. The same with road walks, if a dog only road walks while yes it can be enriching with all the smells, it is only so interesting for your dog compared to mixing it up.