Well, this is ruff to hear — there’s yet another thing we all may be doing wrong.

PETA founder and president Ingrid Newkirk said that pet owners are most likely rushing their dogs along on their daily walks — and probably being a little too distant for the dogs' likings.

MAN RESCUES FREEZING KITTENS STUCK TO ICE BY POURING COFFEE ON THEM

If you’re one of the roughly 44 percent of Americans who own a dog, chances are you’re familiar with the walking demands of your pooch. However, a simple walk around the neighborhood as a “bathroom break” isn’t going to cut it if you want to be a good companion to your dog, Newkirk claimed.

Morning walk with dog (black labrador retriever). Young man is training his puppy walking on the leash.

More than letting your dog lead the way, Newkirk states owners need to be more present during the walk. (iStock)

“It’s their walk, you know?” Newkirk said in an interview on Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross. “That’s a very special occasion for a dog, to be outside and to smell and to look. They don’t want to be stuck in a room all day with their legs crossed, hoping to go outside. It’s more than a bathroom break, it’s an excursion.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The solution?

“Let them sniff!” Newkirk said. “That’s their way they read the news, that’s their Internet. Don’t drag them along.”

But more than letting your dog lead the way, Newkirk also states owners need to be more present during the walk.

“Get off your phone," she added. "People are so wrapped up in their own things they want to do."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

And finally, no collars.

“I would go with a harness,” she said. “Because a collar can cause a lot of problems, and never a choke or prong collar.”

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS