Walking The Dog In The Rain

[Stressmagnet]

It's supposed to rain here over the next few days. I've faithfully walked Ernie every morning for an hour since he arrived. I'm tempted to go anyway but to be honest, wet dog excites me little. UNexercised dog excites me even less. Coping with a bouncy lab pup when I'm at the low point of my chemo cycle fills me with dread.

But it's not fair to him.

So what do y'all do when the weather is inclement? How many just do the walk anyway? And for those of you that DONT - how do you substitute?

[shapeshifter]

Have you got a long wide hallway, or similar area?

You could get one of those contraptions that spit balls out, he can learn to put it back in and it spits it out again, over and over and over :)

[Dogsfevr]

My dogs are taught that walks aren't the be all end all & all my large gundog pups are taught very early on that being calm & able to chill out is far more important than walking them to make them tired.

Reality is some times they can't be exercised the way the want to they have to learn that option B is just as important

[Bjelkier]

My dogs are taught that walks aren't the be all end all & all my large gundog pups are taught very early on that being calm & able to chill out is far more important than walking them to make them tired.

Reality is some times they can't be exercised the way the want to they have to learn that option B is just as important

This ^^

Rain isn't such an issue but having arctic dogs means walks in summer are pretty much a no go, even at night in some cases so they have to learn how to stay calm for periods of time and in a heat wave that can be up to a week or more.

[OSoSwift]

I live on acerage so it is easier to exercise my dogs. I have whippets so raining outside means I get given the paw. I also like my dogs not to rely on a walk every morning regardless. Our exercise happens when it fits into the day, sometimes morning, sometimes evening, sometimes the next day.

[Jemmy]

Sometimes I just walk in the rain. Other times we do more fun clicker training. Learning the names of different toys, hiding the toys for her to find. You could also teach or reinforce lying quietly in his spot.

[megan_]

As long as there isn't a storm, we'll walk in the rain. We don our raincoats and go. I think walks are important for mental and lhysical health. (We live I the burbs) for both them and me. We might miss a few days in a row due to the weather, but I live in Melbourne , so the dogs wouldn't get walked in winter if we had a "rain = no walk" rule. Walks in the rain are shorted though. For hot weather, we just go early (sometimes 5am when it is extreme).

[JulesP]

I use raincoats too. I don't walk on super windy days or in thunderstorms! So they missed out yesterday. I do expect them to not act like idiots if they don't go out. I like walking in the rain as you don't get too many other people out walking so it is nice and peaceful.

[Kavik]

I walk in the rain unless it is torrential or thunderstorms. It my "me" time as well away from the kids :laugh:

[YippeeGirl]

I love walking in the rain because most other dog owners are inside. In fact when it starts pouring I have been known to grab one of ours and hurry down to the nearby fenced oval as that is about the only time it is completely free of other dogs :laugh:

Although I think I did break some sort of speed record when there was a really violent thunderstorm and I was halfway down our street.

[juice]

Umbrella and wellies, 2 walks a day with my lot come rain or shine, doesn't bother me or them. :laugh: ( although a certain BT decides wether she may or may not attend!)

[The Spotted Devil]

I LOVE walking and training in the rain! I get the paths, parks, water and ovals to myself - the more miserable the weather the more training I get done. I won't go out in a storm and then it's a bit of shaping to keep their brains busy.

[persephone]

I love walking in the rain - and pups learn that wet is OK very early on :)

I also agree though , that too much routine can lead to anticipatory excitement , etc ..and sometimes manners training indoors is a great substitute :)

[silentchild]

I also walk in the rain - but I hate the rain. :laugh: My dog couldn't care less. So mostly if I don't want to get wet we stay indoors and do training, tricks etc instead. She knows to chill out if she misses a walk every now and then - same as showdog a walk isn't be all and end all for her. She'd rather play with me to be honest - walkies are just for her to sniff things and exercise.

[sheena]

If I'm visiting my Mum in suburbia where our twice daily walk is the only exercise the dogs will get (cause she has a tiny backyard), then I will walk in the rain. I have raincoats for them. I wont go out in a thunderstorm though, as thunder freaks ME out...I have had too many close calls If it's too wet here on the farm for the afternoon walk, then they get some extra mental stimulation inside. Even just a small walk out into the paddock, so they can sniff & smell & mark & poo, & they are quite satisfied. :)

[raineth]

I don't mind walking in the rain, but I hate walking when it's windy so much! I can't stand the wind.

I still sometimes walk the dog when it's windy, but other times I use those days to do training and scent games. Scent games are meant to tire dogs out really well. To be honest I absolutely have not found this to be true with my dog, but she still loves it and that's the most important thing.

[Aleksandra 157]

I think at this time your health is the most important thing,and I send big ,healing hugs to you. I think you've done extremly well to keep walking daily while having chemotherapy .You need to look after yourself at this point.I agree with Showdogs comments so won't repeat them. :)

[sunny1shine]

we have the luxury of a treadmill which our lab happily uses (say 'run run run' inside and she goes and jumps on the treadmill and waits for it to be turned on)We are spoilt by having a dog swimming pool close by as well which is indoors and the staff there if we wernt able to actually walk her around laps would do the laps for us.

Inside games like hiding a toy and asking her to find it is what we mainly do on wet days, or other indoor games, brain work can wear out pups just as much as physical work.

[Stressmagnet]

Thanks for the replies. I actually quite enjoy the walks - my time to think and sort out my life. But I don't want to HAVE to go out if it's really really bad.

I'll google learning scent games and teaching 'find it' and some other brainy games. I'm working on teaching Ernie that inside the house is for calm quiet behaviour (still trying to teach my teen girls that), so I don't want to play games that will rev him up.

[OSoSwift]

I don't necessarily play full on games inside. I will push the lounges back and do heel work ( its only a couple of steps across in both directions), perch work and positions etc while inside. The other dogs have to wait on their bed. It can be amazing just how precise you can get with exactly where you want a sit, down or stand when in a tiny space. That sort of thing wears them out.