Canine Stravaig 

What is Canine stravaiging, you will most certainly ask. Staravaig is word from Scottish and Northern English dialect which means to wander aimlessly. The idea of stravaig as an activity that is important to the mental and physical health of dogs is A concept first developed here at The Grinning Dog, Canine Stravaig is an outdoor activity that, done correctly, is beneficial to dogs in terms of mental and physical health. Supported by recent findings (and common sense) Canine Stravaig provides the dog with an outlet for self determined activity, recreation  and relaxation by allowing them unhindered access to a wide open, natural environment to do with what they will. Safely supervised by a trained handler who maintains a companionable, but quiet and unobtrusive presence throughout, the dog explores off leash and is free to engage all their senses in a sequence and for a duration that suits their mood and energy level that day. A stravaiging dog will sniff without interruption, move their bodies at whichever gait and in whatever way suits them. They will gallop, stroll, twist, turn and saunter. They will roll, stretch languorously, lie on a hillock and observe their surroundings and chase butterflies and blowing leaves (we don't allow wildlife chasing). They will paddle along the edges of a pond, swim for the sheer joy of it and sniff the pond muck. They will be in and interact with their environment in whatever way they are internally pulled to do so.
The domestic dog spends upwards of 20 hours a day indoors, under artificial lighting, their movements and activities tightly controlled and described (conscripted?). When they are outdoors it is frequently under some kind of constraint - a leash, a fenced yard with limited terrain to explore. Much of their outdoor time is on pavement and restricted by a leash or tether. Canine Stravaig provides them an outlet, a break from their tightly conscripted roles in our human world and an opportunity to be entirely in their own skin and senses. We believe it could almost serve as canine meditation!