walking a dog daily?

BullMastiffMama

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#41
I walk - Capone lumbers. Unless he spots a sqiurrell... or rabbit, etc. *sigh*

We skip the day after agility practice, about once a week. (usually because he's managed to meld with his crate 'poufy' and can't hear me from his slumber.... though I shouldn't pick on him, I'm not in great shape after running like a spazz, either.)
 

ihartgonzo

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#42
I walk my dogs 1-2 hours every day. Maybe 1/2 hour of that is with both of them together, and they each get long individual walks with lots of training and down-stays and recall work.

I try to walk as many different routes as possible, or drive to a park or the lake and walk there. I used to avoid walking often and in different places, and it started to show a LOT. They are noticeably more adjusted, social and desensitized to different people/dogs/animals/traffic. Walks are amazing for bonding. :)
 

mrose_s

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#43
Buster only used to get a couple of short walks a week, he seemed fine with that. We had a big backyard and he had the other animals to interact with plus we were doing a lot of training. He was in the house a lot of the time though.

Since he got here he's been bouncing off walls, don't know what happened to my quiet little boy. For the last week we've gone out for 2 x 1 hour walks every day + our normal interaction and training. I've finally got the high energy dog I always wanted lol. I think it must be because he's all on his own now, when its not me interacting with him he's just got himself to entertain himself.
 

Upendi&Mina

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#44
Mine don't get daily walks, there's simply too many loose dogs around here (around 3-6 in a half hour walk). My girls aren't aggressive, but at least two of the dogs that are loose on a regular basis are (Upendi and I were nearly attacked by a yellow lab right behind my house. Thankfully the neighbor was out and chased the dog back home). When we do walk them it's normally at 2 or 3 in the morning because we don't seem to run into as many loose dogs then.

Not only that, but our town is VERY boring to walk in. There's two main roads and a bunch of dead end streets and no trails to walk. :rolleyes:

That said, we go out on the long line a lot and take them to a friends fenced yard to play. We also do lots of training and normally when I go out at least one of them goes with me. :)

The tennis ball and frisbee have been lifesavers in tiring Mina out and honestly I don't think a walk would tire her out nearly as much.
 
A

Angel Chicken

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#45
We walk on a daily basis usually, except it's the same one every day-- to the bus stop and back.

Other than that, Kona walks herself for the most part. We live on a huge slab of land so she gets to go out and gallyvant each night, and she normally does 3-5 times each evening.
 

smkie

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#46
OUR regular walks keep our leash work nice and tight. I know if we have too many running in the fields or woods and go back to the walks it is a bit sloppy and takes a bit to shape it back up. My dogs need the mental stimulation that because of our house size and unfenced yard they would not get at home. IT allows us to train with distraction, and most important road safety. We run into loose dogs pretty regularly but have not had a problem.
 

Lolas Dad

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#47
LOL @ Lola'sDad... that looks fun though, I bet Lola loves it.

Yes she does love it. I have a mirror on the bike and when we are going forward she is just sitting there looking at everything going by and shes never laying down in it. It seems she likes the dog bike trailer better than the car seat in the truck.

When she is in the car seat in the truck she sits up like she is human with her left paw straight out for support and her right paw on the edge as if it is an arm rest but when we are on the highway she lays down. If were on roads in neighborhoods or towns than she sits up and looks out the window. One time we were coming back from the dog park and she was laying down and we came across a line of people waiting in line for something going on through a town and was going kind of slow so I told Lola Here are your adoring fans all lined up to see you and she sat right up in her human position and was looking out the window at all of them as we were driving by, it was quite funny they way she did that. It is actually like she understood what I said :rofl1:
 

Dekka

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#48
My guys don't get walked, every now and then I will take a dog to wander around when I go somewhere, but with so many dogs it doesnt' end up being often for any one dog.

I have a fair bit of land, and there are other dogs to run and play with, so the dogs get a good run a couple of times a day.
 

DanL

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#49
I walk mine irregularly. They get plenty of exercise and honestly, a 2 hour walk wouldn't do anything for Gunnar. Even Daisy can come back from a long walk and the 1st thing she does is pick up a ball and want to play. Bruzer can't keep up with the big dogs on walks so he usually doesn't go.
 

JoeLacy

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#50
We walk almost everyday weather permitting, we walk to the shopping center, sometimes sit out by the grocery store and let people meet her. We cross busy roads, go to starbucks and sit outside for meet and greets, to the post office and I take her in stores where she's allowed. I try to take her to Petsmart a couple of times a week, even if we don't need anything. Dog park twice a month and we play ball up and down the stairs about 30 minutes a day or until she get's tired of it.

I can't physically wear Peyton out with just a walk, but if I keep her mentally stimulated at the same time, she seems to sleep better.
 

stellasmama

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#51
I try to walk Stella daily....she's got a lot of energy and needs to get out. I do a mix of walks and time at the dog park. Somedays we do both. Our yard isn't fenced in...so she goes out to do her business on a leash. The dog park gives her a chance to run loose (it's fenced in) and burn off some energy.

I like walking with her....it makes both of us happy and feel better but on a cold, rainy miserable day....she goes out for bathroom only!
 

Lizmo

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#52
We don't walk regularly. Mainly because of loose dogs. But the neighbor who had the loose dog has just moved out so we've started trying to walk on a daily basis again. Also, we don't walk much during the summer because of the extreme heat here; so since it's started cooling down, we try to walk again.

Another reason we don't walk on a regular schedule is because in my neighborhood there are only certain places we can walk. I refuse to walk my dogs in the back of the neighborhood because of a CRAZY (I mean mentally insane) Chihuahua that will chase you with all it's might if you come back there. And the owners do *nothing* and it has a Doxie, Pug, and Boxer buddy that join in on the chase.

we play ball up and down the stairs about 30 minutes a day or until she get's tired of it.
Just wanted to point out that this can be very dangerous. Running down the stairs FAST after a ball = less common sense and judgement to know how fast is too fast.
 

AllieMackie

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#53
I walk Finn once almost every day, usually in the mornings for 20-30 mins. We don't go on super long walks or anything... walks don't do a whole lot for Finn. I like to take him because I like walks, he can smell new things and experience new situations/locations, but really, a half hour in the backyard playing vigorous fetch and 20-30 mins of training trumps a two hour walk in terms of wearing Finn out.

We also go to the dogpark a few times a week, which plays a huge role in a happy Finnegan. :p
 

Laurelin

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#54
I think a lot of people for some reason think you walk a dog to wear them out physically, which for me isn't the case. I've never had a dog that a walk tires them out. I just think the more the dog sees of the world, the more they experience, then the better adjusted they tend to be. I try to live by it by bringing my dogs as many places as I can. Even if all we can do one day is a 30 minute walk, we do it. I wear Mia out physically with flirt pole and 'crazy fetch' (constant fetch practically with her kong- it's all done at zoomie pace)

Plus the other reason I walk is if I have a dog then I'm a lot more likely to walk myself, thus getting the both of us outside and getting me some exercise to boot. It's great motivation.
 

Gustav

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#55
Yes daily, come rain, hail, snow or shine...

We do at LEAST 3 miles every day, plus I have a big garden.. I like the walking as much as they do, it's good mulling things over time, a great way to "post mortamise" things as I call it.. :)
 

smkie

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#57
My dogs run up cliffs...jump rock ridges..running full out. THis being alot more dangerous than stairs. I don't worry a bit they have been doing it for years and are as adapt as mountain goats. ANd if they did by accident have a fall..it would be sad, but would never cancel out the benefits of being free and living life to the fullest extent. Also makes them fit which makes them far less likely to injure themselves.

I was thinking a minute ago that I can't imagine NOT walking my dogs. For my own benefit, it helps my pain, gives me the vit d exposure and exercise the lyme doc wants me to have. It's a win win all the way around. You get your training done and out of the way, you have that team feeling i like so well, and everyone is healthier.
 
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#58
I walk mine irregularly. They get plenty of exercise and honestly, a 2 hour walk wouldn't do anything for Gunnar. Even Daisy can come back from a long walk and the 1st thing she does is pick up a ball and want to play. Bruzer can't keep up with the big dogs on walks so he usually doesn't go.
I know how you feel. When I go for 2 hours, they come home and the first thing they do is play chase. :lol-sign:
 

Whisper

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#60
Not in the traditional sense. I could walk my dogs on the leash along the road for a good 24 hours and barely scratch the tip of their exercise needs. Now I almost always go back ways, where it's more rural (which I like better anyway) because of all the loose dogs. Lucy got attacked by a loose Samoyed and I had to throw rocks and hit it with a big stick. (Maybe some of you think that makes me a bad person, but I would do it again to protect my dogs.)
Millie's my service dog and goes everywhere with me, so she gets a lot of walking that way.
We also have a bit of acreage, so we run around there and play training games, etc. We go on hikes, play fetch and tug, etc. I LOVE walking hiking/walking with them, being alone with my dogs and the rest of nature.
So, no, I don't walk them on the road every day in a "traditional" walk, but yes, I give them different types of physical and mental rigorous exercise everyday, rain or shine, sick or not.
 

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