A 2011 study from Michigan State University found that 2/3 of dog owners don't regularly walk their dogs. Go walk your dogs, people!!
Hannah the Dog gets three walks a day - in the morning before breakfast, when we get home from work, and right before bedtime - and resents every minute of it. But, guess what? She's exhausted when she gets home (it's hard to sniff so much! and let's not even get started on how many sticks there are to chew on!) and that's what we want. A tired dog is a good dog. Sometimes I don't want to go on a walk with her. I'm tired, it's cold, it's raining, or whatever. Guess what? It doesn't matter. Dog's gotta go out.
We don't have a fenced yard, so just throwing Hannah out into the yard isn't an option. Although, according to that article that I linked to, that's not a good substitute for a walk. But when it's -30 below or 35 and raining, it would be lovely to have that as an option.
It has been SO WARM here for the last few days. I actually went for a RUN outside on Tuesday after work. So it has not been a hardship to walk H recently, although when the cold inevitably returns, I will be a grump about the whole process.
Anyway. Enough words.
Go walk your dog if you have one. If you don't have one, good for you for making that budget-friendly decision!
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If you have a dog, do you regularly walk with them? If you don't have a dog, how many days per week do you regularly get outside for walks?
I have thought about this a lot since we got Charlie! When I walk Charlie in the morning, I often see a couple other people out walking their dogs, but there is no way everyone with a dog in our neighborhood is out walking their dogs. In fact it seems like a very low percentage of people are typically out walking their dogs- though I know for a fact that there ARE a lot of dogs that live in the area! We have neighbors two doors down who have lived there since 2020, and they have 2 dogs. I can think of one time I have seen them walk the dogs one time in 4 years. Besides hearing them bark in the window sometimes, I literally NEVER see those dogs out of the house. (And not to sound like a creeper neighbor, but we have a big front picture window so it's just obvious when people are out walking by!) Our other neighbors have a lab and they do walk her several times a day. But then some other neighbors have 2 pitbulls who I do not think play well with others (rescues), so they don't walk them- but I see them spending a lot of time throwing balls for them in the fenced yard.
ReplyDeleteI think I probably put a little too much pressure on myself in the early days with Charlie to "have" to walk him everyday like he was going to spontaneously combust if I didn't. I think it's super important and great! But I also probably fretted a little too much, like I was a terrible pet parent if things were crazy and I missed a day. Based on the number of people apparently NOT walking their dogs daily, I'm probably still way above average and doing fine! When it's really cold, we take him in the basement and throw balls around for him to chase to get exercise instead.
I aim to walk Charlie a minimum of once a day (on our "longer" route which takes close to 30 minutes), and then at least one more around the shorter block (10-15 minutes). The boys have been doing the second walk more often lately. For going potty, we just put him out in the backyard on a tie-out stake (we do have a fenced yard but it's good sized and he gets into things, so we leash him in the yard anyway). He goes outside every few hours to go potty and/or just hang out a bit, and then typically the morning walk and/or another 1-2 shorter walks. But as long as he gets one decent walk a day, I'm pretty satisfied. Probably depends on the breed, too- he's pretty small and not like, a Husky or something that was endless energy and needs TONS of walks. I've actually read for the smaller breeds you have to be careful to not overdo it due to risk for joint damage and stuff (not that we are approaching that level, anyway! But maybe he wouldn't be cut out for like super long hikes.) He has lots of energy though and LOOOOOVES going on walks though. He sniffs and runs and trots along like a very happy camper, so I try to get him out walking as much has possible! I can't wait for the warmer weather- I think we'll walk even more then! He also loves going on car rides, so he always accompanies me to drive Asher to school, or swim practice; this seems to be nice mental stimulation for him too. He loves looking at everything, etc. It's another good option for simulation if the weather is bad and we can't walk as much. We play some in the back yard on the long leash, also, but we have so much rabbit poop out there!! And apparently that is a delicacy. (gross). So it's more of a headache almost to deal with him and prevent him from eating stuff in our own yard than out on a walk.
There's a house down the street from me with two lovely setters. I have only ever seen them a handful of times and they are super well trained (when I saw them, they were outside without a leash and they immediately went inside when called). But I've never seen them on walks. Maybe the owner takes them elsewhere? They're obviously well-cared for! There's a guy two houses down who has two pits he just puts in a kennel in their yard and I feel terrible for them. Poor guys.
DeleteI think the number and length of your walks depends on the size, breed, and age of your dog. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. For a long time when Hannah was sick, she was on "bed rest," which meant walks no further than around the block. I have a friend with greyhounds who apparently get exhausted after half a mile. And, obviously, puppies and elderly dogs shouldn't be out there for hours a day!
It's really hard with puppies! They have so much energy, but it can hurt their joints/bone development if they're overworked when they're still growing. So a lot of that mental stimulation (playing, training, new experiences) is great for them. It sounds like that's what you're doing with Charlie and that's perfect!
(All dogs love rabbit poop. It's a thing. *sigh*)
I see people (my neighbors) walking their dogs past my house all the time. So I always assumed people with dogs walked them! I also go running in a park near my house with trails and there are a ton of dog people. I wonder where that 2/3 stat came from.
ReplyDeleteIt is probably easy for me (a non dog owner) to say but I feel like if you are going to bear the responsibility of having a dog, you should walk it (and train it and keep it clean). Isn't that kind of part of the job? I wonder what the non walkers do? If they have a huge yard or are non city people, maybe the dog just runs around? In that case, that could be okay, but a lot of people (more than 1/3??) live in cities!
Speaking as a dog owner - YES IF YOU ARE GOING TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HAVING A DOG THEN YES YOU TAKE IT FOR WALKS!!!!!!! I mean if you live on a farm or something where the dog can roam I guess you're off the hook for walks but like you say, that's got to be a small percentage of the 1/3.
DeleteI think it would be interesting to know what percentage of dog owners live in rural/suburban/urban areas versus other pets. I know a lot of people just let their dogs out in a fenced yard. According to that article, that's not really a replacement for a walk.
DeleteDogs are so much work, but not all dogs require multiple walks a day like our dog. It's just that you have to do something every day and it's a lot!
God it feels like half my life is walking Rex, although that's not technically true. He gets one walk a day, but it's a long walk - 5 to 7 km, and it takes close to 90 minutes. He really enjoys it and gets very excited for walkies. Barkley used to also get one walk a day, but it was more like 2 km. Barkley loved walks and also hanging out in our fenced yard back in Calgary. We are unfenced here, and we have about 2 acres, so Rex explores outside a few times a day.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. I'm going to continue to say Hannah is my most expensive and time-consuming hobby. Hannah doesn't need quite as much exercise as Rex does (we would get an average of 4-5 km if you add up all of our walks), but it does me as much good as it does her to be out there and be active!
DeleteI think your dogs have a nice mix of fun time in the yard and walks. Hannah rarely gets to just chill in our yard because it's unfenced and I worry about her darting off. She's only done it once (she chased a squirrel into our neighbor's yard), but it scared me so much that I rarely let her just hang out.
No dogs, but two kids and we walk to school multiple times a week. I'd say I do an outdoor walk 4-5 days per week ranging in length from 4 km - 7.5 km? So they're all fairly long, but as the weather warms up I'd like to do more frequent walks outside that are a bit shorter. I've been focussed on daily yoga this year more than daily walks, but I would like to get my step count up a bit! It has been FREEZING here (-17 yesterday...or about 1 F). BRRRR.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cold!! There are days when bundling the dog out for her to want to come back in five minutes later is a bit frustrating, but what can you do? Poor thing has to go outside to go to the bathroom!
DeleteI feel like 4-7.5 km a day is amazing! You're certainly more active than the average person with that!
Seriously? 2/3??? It seems like one of the most fun things about having a dog would be walking him/her! Okay, it doesn't get very cold here so that's easy for me to say. But you're doing it and you live in the midwest, so... it can be done. I will say I see a lot of people walking dogs here, but again, that's Florida.
ReplyDeleteYeah, having a friend on walks with me is such an advantage of having a dog. But I was a daily walker pre-dog, so it wasn't that big of a lifestyle change for me. (Although, to be fair, the early morning walk is not my most favorite.) I would love to have a more temperate climate for dog walks, but very little stops me from our regular walks!
DeleteHow timely since we had our first "real" walk with Doggo last night. When we first got her she didn't want to leave our yard, and since then she's slowly been expanding how far away from home she will go. Last night we were finally able to tempt her to walk around the block with us. For some reason she will only use the restroom in a few select areas of our yard, so I'm curious to see how long it will take her to figure out that it's OK to do business on walks, and how long before she starts marking. And then if her "mark" spots will be the same spots that Stepdog liked to tag.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot about dog ownership that I don't know, but my personal opinion is that people who don't walk their dogs are the same people who aren't happy with their dog's behavior. I just can't even.
Stepdog looooved her walks and I loved walking her. Before the pandemic she only got a short walk to the end of the street in the mornings on school days, a 20 minute walk at night, and some longer bonus walks on weekends. Then once the pandemic started she got a regular lunchtime walk and it made a huge difference to her. She became much calmer and chill. After she turned 10 she started to slow down a bit and would sometimes cut her walks short, but she always wanted them. She liked going out into our yard just to be outside, but unless she really needed to go she would hold out for her regular walks.
Puppies are really different. You don't want to overtax their skeletal structure before they're ready! And obviously dogs on the other end of the spectrum tend to need less stimulation as they get older.
Delete"...people who don't walk their dogs are the same people who aren't happy with their dog's behavior. I just can't even." THIS!!! They get upset because their dogs are destructive/loud. Of course they are. My dog is too tired most days to be naughty! She's mentally and physically stimulated and yes, it takes a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it.
I believe that stat. Our neighbourhood is full of dogs--I know, because I hear them. Yet, I don't see very many of them out on walks. There are two gorgeous pit bull mixes a few doors down from us that sometimes take themselves out, and it's hilarious. We call it The Running Of The Bulls. They escape and just start running full speed all over the neighbourhood. Once in a while, one of them runs onto our porch (we have no idea why). Pretty soon, you hear their owners hollering for them (which they both ignore), and then a car starts going up and down the blocks looking for them, swearing and calling for them. Probably if those handsome dogs got regular walks, they'd not go so crazy.
ReplyDeleteThe Running of the Bulls!! That is hilarious!! If those dogs were walked and trained, they'd be a lot easier to manage. Some people just don't understand cause and effect, I guess!
DeleteHarry and Jack walked Beatrix every morning before school from the time they were 7 and 8 until she got too fat to walk regularly (LOL LOL LOL) a couple of years before she died. The AM dog walk was wonderful for everyone-- the boys got some exercise before school, and so did Bea. Bea was not a crate dog, and she also was not at all destructive. Still, it was nice to leave her in a puddle of sun when we left in the morning and know she'd probably sleep until lunch time.
ReplyDeleteThe morning walk is a treasured ritual in our house. I don't know how I even got started in the mornings pre-dog!
DeleteI always thought the whole point of having a dog was to have an excuse to go for walks daily. Or even more than daily. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't have a dog, but if I did, it would be so I could take them out for walks.
ReplyDeleteWhat she said ^ same, same, same.
DeleteHa. I have left my own parties before "to walk the dog." I definitely wanted a friend with me on walks - it's a perk of having a dog friend!
DeleteSue is walking me just about every day. lol
ReplyDeleteHaving a dog would be difficult in my state. I suppose if a little one would use the backyard . . .
Well no, I'll be satisfied with our old puss.
The backyard is not the same as a walk! Best to stick with cats if you aren't willing/able to go for a walk each day. Cats just need cuddles!
DeleteWe used to take our girl Genevieve out for two walks a day, one in the morning, and one in the evening. She was blind her last few years, and got to the point where she didn't want to go for walks anymore (too scary I think). One of the reasons that we got Mulder in 2015 was to get me back in the habit of walking again. He got one walk a day, 45 minutes to an hour in the morning on weekdays, longer on weekends. We have a small fenced back yard, so he could do his business whenever he needed to. Now that he's gone and I'm between dogs, I still go every day, but it's lonely and I miss him so much. With Genevieve it was much more gradual, but Mulder went for a walk the day we had to put him to sleep. He wasn't breathing very well, but he still enjoyed his sniffies.
ReplyDeleteI had my first dog, Samantha for 16 years. I guess walking your dog wasn't a big thing back then, I never saw anyone walking dogs. I used to take her out to play and walk when I was a kid, but as I got older and busy, I neglected that.
It is a lot less fun to walk by yourself. I see so much more when I'm walking with Hannah. I know where all the other dogs do their business, how many cigarette butts are on the ground, and where all the delicious dead things are. Hey, when I put it like that, maybe walking without a dog is not so bad.
DeleteI have heard that as dogs near the end of their lives, if they can still do the things they love, that's a good sign. It's a good sign that Mulder could go for a walk right up to the very end. He was well loved and got to live his best life as long as possible.
What a wonderful day. And a gentle reminder to those 2/3 people to get going. I mean, how could you not walk your best friend?
ReplyDeleteI do understand how exhausting it is to walk a dog every damn day. But they're stuck inside all day when you're off at work and doing things. For me it's a question of empathy. I really feel for dogs when they can't explore.
DeleteHuck and Max get to run around in the backyard a lot, but walks are special to them. We're usually taking one of two short trips around the neighborhood, so you'd think it's not that exciting, but they just love it. We should try to be creative and explore more as the weather gets better!
ReplyDeleteHannah actually doesn't care for it when we veer off one of our handful of "regular" walking paths. I think she likes to keep tabs on the sniffs in her neighborhood and isn't too interested in exploring much. Your boys are probably the same.
DeleteA tired dog IS a good dog! My girls are terrible on a leash. I know, it's all my fault. But it's so easy to let them run around our fenced in yard. Plus, we don't have sidewalks near our home, so it's a tricky sitch to walk them on the street.
ReplyDeleteHaving sidewalks was one of my top requirements for buying a house because I knew I wanted to get a dog eventually and I'd want to walk them! We didn't have sidewalks where I grew up and I was adamant about it when I got to make a choice! But I know there are places where it's dangerous to walk dogs if there aren't any sidewalks and I feel like dog owners are in a tough spot with that arrangement.
DeleteHaha, "If you don't have a dog, how many days per week do you regularly get outside for walks?" this made me laugh especially after reading your spending report. I had no idea the cost of pets.
ReplyDeletePets are so expensive. I didn't know how lucky we were with just the cost of a cat!
DeleteI love that you have that routine of walking with Hannah. I mean, of course, if you have a dog, you'll have to go on walks... (or most people do anyway).
ReplyDeleteI don't get out for walks as much as I'd like but I try to at least run three times a week (sometimes more sometimes less).
Today is beautiful here and someone said I should get out for a walk and I laughed. Hannah and I have already been out! We have to take advantage of every bit of sun we can.
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