Do You Think It Is Cruel /neglectful

[Cleo's Corgwyn]

My girl doesn't get walked every day, but then again, she's generally at training at least 3 sessions a week, plus trials, etc, and will soon start fortnightly hospital visits with Delta. She's generally more more tired and satisfied after an hour of obedience training and a hoon around with the other instructors dogs than she is from any kind of walk!

[B-Q]

I don't know. I don't think its fair if you get a dog and never take it out. But my Buster rarely gets walked, as soon as he leaves the yard he is stressed to the max, we are working on it but probably nto as much as we should. We are on 10 acres and he is comfortable in teh paddocks so I take him out there most days and we train a few times a week.

Quinn I have to get out atleast 5 days a week, preferable everyday and we have to train and play everyday, I knew I wanted a dog that took more work and its paying off.

Buster is most comfortable in his yard where he feels safe, I don't think he's suffering one bit, doing as little as I do with him with Quinn would be sending her nuts.

[stormie]

Yeah see for us, our daily walk isn't about tiring him out. It's just cause it's what we do. For me, a walk is just a basic essential, like food and water. Sometimes it might just be a walk down the end of the street and back if I'm really pushed for time. Other times we'll go exploring around the neighbourhood. But i'll be honest and say there are days here and there where we don't go - if it's terrible weather etc. But overall, it's just a given that we'll go out together sometime in the day just cause it's what we do.

But then we do other stuff too. Games in the yard with toys and agility stuff, swimming, formal training etc. Or on weekends we'll go for a drive to find some nice bushwalks or rivers to swim in. I

I totally get that not everyone has the luxury of time etc to be able to do these things and I'm so fortunate to work the hours I do and have a dog friendly swimming pool at work. But this is just how it is for us

[claireybell]

The neighbours dog is only ever walked from the house to the letter box. He looks soooo excited to be getting out of the house and sooo disappointed to be returning so quickly. I feel really sorry fir him. He see's my dogs going for a walk twice everyday and I always feel guilty

[Ravyk]

Mine don't get walked too often, OH is too tired after work and I suffer relatively bad shin splints. When they do get walked they are walked for about 1.5-2ks and run at the park for about 10-20mins, a bit of off lead obedience and then home again.

We take them out every weekend [and during the week if OH isn't working] to the beach or park for a decent run. We play with them daily outside or inside depending on the weather. They'll also go riding in the car if we need to pop down to the shops for milk or to grab the letters from the post box.

[Niques]

We went through a period of regular daily walking but I realised I found it immensely boring. When we'd get to about the half hour mark I felt like we were trudging along for the sake of finishing the walk. I don't know if I just read what I wanted from James' behaviour but he seemed less excited to me as well after the initial "we're out and about" thrill.

These days we're more inclined to hover around the local park (people park - not dog park). Do a couple of laps. Sprint like lunatics from one end to the other And just sit on a bench and watch all the other dogs and people. It's much more interesting for the both of us, I like to think.

Although it's still not entirely regular - during holidays (i.e. right now) we don't go so often as there are too many other dogs about. James gets more over-excited than usual and, weighing things up, I think it's more damaging to put him in that situation than to lose the training opportunity through keeping him home.

[indigirl]

I believe most dogs need more than the same suburban backyard day in and day out. However if i take my 2 male IGs for a walk they give me long suffering looks and lag at the end of the lead until we turn and head back home lol. I think this is partly due to there being no fenced dog parks here and being sight hounds they cant be let off lead, so a walk to them seems pretty pointless. These guys are truly happiest just running around the backyard.

The bigger dogs need to get out regularly or they drive me nuts with unspent energy! I don't know how anyone can stand to live with larger dogs who are never taken out of their yard.

[Parkeyre]

My vote is "No".

[gillybob]

My dogs dont get walked anymore, because I have a big yard and they have heaps to do.

I always found our walks really stressful so did my dogs.

I never new what would happen, if the dogs or I would be abused or attacked.

Now we arnt nearly as stressed.

[Steve]

I dont take my dogs out for a walk with a string around their necks but they play and run with each other and walk beside me or run in front of me everywhere I go around the property. They have people coming and going all day. I sit on my porch and watch the beagles play Aussie rules footy being umpired by the house Maremmas every dusk for an hour or so until they decide they have had enough and come and crash around me on the porch and say good aye to the cats.

If I put a lead on them and left the property they wouldnt see anyone or meet another dog and where they live is 2.5 acres square house yard which is snake proof,escape proof and has lots of great smells and new things to do every day. There is a mound of sand and gravel, and another of brickies sand which they run up and over and around and around this week which wasnt there before which they are helping to spread for me and they pick the strawberries off just before I get to them every time .

Its dog heaven here and it cost me a hell of a lot of money to make it that way - why would I need to take them for a walk 0n leash? Isnt that something you do when you have no choice because of living in suburbia with on leash dog laws? How can you seriously think pounding a concrete pavement not being able to explore or run or have any choice in where they go or what they do because their owners are directing every single step is less cruel than the way we live with our dogs?

[Gayle.]

Well, that's the thing, wherever I walk on our property, the dogs walk with me, I get to be the pack leader and they are expected to walk nicely and display good doggie manners. They don't miss out on walks, they just don't do it with a leash on. And I defy anyone to say my dogs miss out on anything because they surely do not.

[Bluefairy]

Just a question, and definitely not having a go, but for those who don't walk their dogs often, may I ask why?

ie, why do you chose to throw a ball or frisbee, do some training etc for half an hour or so, rather than going for a half an hour walk?

Obviously I get that some dogs may have problems which see them unable to be exercised too much, but for those with healthy, young/adult dogs?

I should say that when I refer to walk, I don't mean going out to a dog park for a run around, but I mean an on leash walk around the streets etc.

As I mentioned in my post I can't walk a dog as I can't do any exercise because of my heart. I can though throw a ball and teach them to bring it back. Pugs do a lot of exercise doing Zoomies (running like a nut round and round something) then they just flop down and sleep. This is why I picked the Pug breed to begin with. It wouldn't be fair on the dog if I chose a GSD, Rotti, or even a JRT and expected it to get enough exercise from what little I can do.

BF

[~Anne~]

I don't walk my dogs often. We are restricted for several months of the year with heat and humidity and we are restricted with time and work long hours. When we walk them, it is on the weekends.

They are not a breed that needs a lot of energy release and so the games they play, and we play with them, in the house and yard are enough. In fact, only one of them is energetic enough to even chase a ball and she does this everynight and drives me insane wanting me to throw it so she can chase it.

[Annie99]

I believe most dogs need more than the same suburban backyard day in and day out.

I don't know how anyone can stand to live with larger dogs who are never taken out of their yard.

Agree with this.

Also think that never walking them or giving them stimulation makes them territorial and can lead to aggression.

[Annie99]

I think it depends on the dog and whether it can be given enough exercise and mental stimulation in some other way on a daily basis. My dogs love going for car rides and having playdates with their dog friends and they are happy and well behaved. I do put a big effort into exposing them to different places, sounds, people, kids, dogs when they are puppies so that isn't an issue for them.

I think stimulation is very important as well.

[MolassesLass]

No, even when there is no stimulation for the dog at all, I don't call it cruel or neglectful (too strong). I do think it is part of a responsible owner's duties to physically and mentally stimulate their dogs though.

Mine don't get walks around the neighbourhood often, maybe once every 3 months. Mostly because it sucks - dogs fence barking, people being idiots with your dogs, the physical effort for myself etc. We play various fetch games at home and do other mental activities.

[Steve]

I believe most dogs need more than the same suburban backyard day in and day out.

I don't know how anyone can stand to live with larger dogs who are never taken out of their yard.

Agree with this.

Also think that never walking them or giving them stimulation makes them territorial and can lead to aggression.

Nup not mine. I wouldnt live with an aggressive dog.

[Gayle.]

Mine are far from aggressive. Quite the opposite, in fact. Lots of sweeping assumptions being made in this thread.

[MolassesLass]

I don't know how anyone can stand to live with larger dogs who are never taken out of their yard.

It's not the size of the dog but the stimulation requirements of the breed and that particular dog. My 75kg Bullmastiff is the biggest dog in the household but the least keen on walks (and none of them are aggressive).

[OSoSwift]

I live on acerage and the house yard is 5 acres. My dogs are not dumped outside as we have livestock fences and I don't want them nicking off-not that they have ever tried, but they are not going to get the chance!. We are also building a yard attatched to their dog runs wich is 12m X 10 metres so they can have access to that and their dog runs when they are locked up.

We are outside quite often during the day and my dogs do race around and play with each other, Lewis in particular races around with his horse ball flat out all over the place. I throw toys and balls while hanging out washing, doing fencing etc.

I also take them for leash walks thorugh the farm for an hour or more most days. They go to dog club once a week (on summer break at the moment) they sometimes come with me when I take my son to school, but not if it's too hot. They also come to town sometimes again depending on weather and what exactly I need to do.

They see lots of visitors, play with the kids play with mee and we do training every second day at least if not every day.

I do not feel they are missing out on anything, they do get to see stuff and they do get socilaised, I am not to worried about them playing with other dogs as I do not see that as important, they play with each other.

They are very fit (there heart rates are the lowest our vet has heard), muscley and have no fear or aggression issues. I do not need to drive them to town 3 or 4 times a week to walk on a lead on bitumen for them to have a more fullfiling life than they have now. I sometimes take them in the car and then take them to check the mailbox or something.

Edited December 29, 2010 by OSoSwift