Walks
- Thread starter EvieMom
- Start date
At least daily, but it depends on weather and time of day. If the sun is down or almost there, we stay in the yard (we have a big forest-y yard) and explore. Same for if it's raining, mainly because Olive doesn't like the rain falling on her face and she wants to lick the street/sidewalk puddles 
. Otherwise we go to the park/fields by the elementary school when school is done for the day, or to the big empty lot across the street.
. Otherwise we go to the park/fields by the elementary school when school is done for the day, or to the big empty lot across the street.
corbinam
Moderator
Twice a day at least.
My husband takes them in the morning for 10-15 minutes (bet it drops to 5-10 minutes once it gets really cold!) and then we walk them once in the evening for around 20 minutes.
I don't think our routine will change much other than it will take us longer to get ready to go outside!
My husband takes them in the morning for 10-15 minutes (bet it drops to 5-10 minutes once it gets really cold!) and then we walk them once in the evening for around 20 minutes.
I don't think our routine will change much other than it will take us longer to get ready to go outside!
take4roll10
Moderator
I walk my dog for 25 minutes in the morning. Then I have a dogwalker who walks her for 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. She gets a 5-10 minute walk in the evening. And then one last quick potty walk before bed.
This routine is the same all year round. If it is raining or incredibly hot or cold, I will shorten the morning walk.
This routine is the same all year round. If it is raining or incredibly hot or cold, I will shorten the morning walk.
Beau here, I don't have a fenced yard for me to run/play/pee and poop.
Momma dog takes me out three times a day first walk around 7am, we walk down to the park I pee/poop then momma takes me on a long walk about 15 blocks and back home for breakfast.
then we have a mid morning walk the same thing, in a different direction
then mid afternoon. same distance, different direction
Momma says the walks are good for me and it helps her too.
I don't like to walk in the rain, I don't like getting my hair wet, I'm a diva that way. I only like getting my hair wet in the snow, cause I like to do snow dog angels, it makes my
momma laugh
I get one more just a pee on a tree walk at 7pm and then I run back in the house and we snuggle up for the evening. I like to snuggle. I'm aces at snuggling
Momma dog takes me out three times a day first walk around 7am, we walk down to the park I pee/poop then momma takes me on a long walk about 15 blocks and back home for breakfast.
then we have a mid morning walk the same thing, in a different direction
then mid afternoon. same distance, different direction
Momma says the walks are good for me and it helps her too.
I don't like to walk in the rain, I don't like getting my hair wet, I'm a diva that way. I only like getting my hair wet in the snow, cause I like to do snow dog angels, it makes my
momma laugh
I get one more just a pee on a tree walk at 7pm and then I run back in the house and we snuggle up for the evening. I like to snuggle. I'm aces at snuggling
Shelby's mom
Forums Enthusiast
Unless it is too hot/cold or raining we routinely take a 30 min walk every evening after dinner. We just bundle up in this cold weather. Shelby loves this cold. We have a fenced in yard so she did not want to come in at all tbis weekend.
SheltieChe
Forums Sage
Cold weather, unless it is completely miserly, does not change our routines. 3-4 miles walk/ run in the 3 acres dog park for 1 hr twice a day is about what makes both puppies happy to be couch potatoes in the house. Add to it a bit of brain exercises/ training few minutes here and there, generally their needs met.
corbinam
Moderator
Wow! You make me feel guilty. Do you mind my asking if you work full-time? If so, I need to step up my game
It sounds like many of you are having the same problem I was - working full time without enough time/energy at the end of the day to walk your dogs. I went with "out of the box" thinking. I knew I wasn't giving my dogs enough exercise - by the time I'm done work for the day I'm usually absolutely exhausted. I was coming home at 5:00 too tired to enjoy walking/playing with my dogs. I started thinking about the difference between many countries vs. North America, and how dogs are essentially limited to their houses or being on a leash, and the psychological effects of these limitations...and then I had an idea.
Last winter I bought an SUV, and the dogs have very nice kennels in it - larger than their ones at home (they are kenneled during the day at home because one likes to eat electric cords and one has stomach issues - I need to know what she eats and when she eats it). I have a 50 minute break at lunch, so once the weather got cooler I decided to start bringing them to work, leaving them in the vehicle kennels, and walking them at lunch.
Before people get up in arms and think I'm abusing my dogs:
a) They're kenneled at home anyways, and work is a 20 minute drive from my house so they're kenneled all day if I leave them at home. The vehicle crates are even bigger than their crates in the house.
b) I live in Northern Canada - it's not a warm climate. I always check the temperature for the day.
c) Just in case the weather ever turned unexpectedly warm (I get constant weather updates on my computer), I have a back up plan in place. The vehicle is set up for the dogs - I have a vent lock, fans, cool coats, cooling pads in my vehicle, and I have a friend's house as back up. I don't bring them from April/May to September, and I won't be bringing them on very cold winter days.
d) For the winter, I have self warming crate pads and kennel jackets (not jackets for the dogs - they insulate the entire kennel).
e) The dogs have constant access to water in their kennels - they have something that looks like a larger version of a rodent water bottle. They also have a pop down food bowl.
f) If I leave them at home, they're kenneled for about 8 hours. When I bring them, I work from 8:15 - 12:00 (they sleep), we walk from 12:00 - 12:40, they return to their kennels from 12:40 - 3:00 (more sleep), and then we head out on our next adventure.
This is one of the best decisions I've ever made. My dogs are SO much happier. We go for a forty minute walk at lunch. On the way home we stop at either the off leash walking dog path, the agility yard, or the pet store. They are getting more exercise, more socialization, and more interaction opportunities than ever before. By the time I get home around 5:30, my dogs are tired and happy. They have their dinner and then chill for the rest of the evening. It's also saving me a lot of gas money ($40/month) and travel time, because before I was picking them up after school and then going on our adventures - now we're doing everything we need to do on the way home.
I know this isn't a conventional solution, and I was a bit nervous at first (mainly about what my co-workers would think), but it's worked out beautifully. I love it and so do my dogs. They dance at the doorway when I start loading up my work gear, and get very upset when I leave them behind.
**A word of caution - this only works out because of all of the precautions I have in place. If I didn't have the big kennels, the ventlock, the kennel jackets, the water bottles, the back up house, the guaranteed lunch break, the weather monitor, the flexibility to check on them etc. this wouldn't be an option. My dogs go everywhere with me on weekends and travel with me constantly, so I experiment with all of the equipment in advance (ie. the kennel jackets). Their safety is my priority - it doesn't matter how much they love coming with me, if I have any concerns about the weather/conditions/my schedule etc. they stay at home.
Last winter I bought an SUV, and the dogs have very nice kennels in it - larger than their ones at home (they are kenneled during the day at home because one likes to eat electric cords and one has stomach issues - I need to know what she eats and when she eats it). I have a 50 minute break at lunch, so once the weather got cooler I decided to start bringing them to work, leaving them in the vehicle kennels, and walking them at lunch.
Before people get up in arms and think I'm abusing my dogs:
a) They're kenneled at home anyways, and work is a 20 minute drive from my house so they're kenneled all day if I leave them at home. The vehicle crates are even bigger than their crates in the house.
b) I live in Northern Canada - it's not a warm climate. I always check the temperature for the day.
c) Just in case the weather ever turned unexpectedly warm (I get constant weather updates on my computer), I have a back up plan in place. The vehicle is set up for the dogs - I have a vent lock, fans, cool coats, cooling pads in my vehicle, and I have a friend's house as back up. I don't bring them from April/May to September, and I won't be bringing them on very cold winter days.
d) For the winter, I have self warming crate pads and kennel jackets (not jackets for the dogs - they insulate the entire kennel).
e) The dogs have constant access to water in their kennels - they have something that looks like a larger version of a rodent water bottle. They also have a pop down food bowl.
f) If I leave them at home, they're kenneled for about 8 hours. When I bring them, I work from 8:15 - 12:00 (they sleep), we walk from 12:00 - 12:40, they return to their kennels from 12:40 - 3:00 (more sleep), and then we head out on our next adventure.
This is one of the best decisions I've ever made. My dogs are SO much happier. We go for a forty minute walk at lunch. On the way home we stop at either the off leash walking dog path, the agility yard, or the pet store. They are getting more exercise, more socialization, and more interaction opportunities than ever before. By the time I get home around 5:30, my dogs are tired and happy. They have their dinner and then chill for the rest of the evening. It's also saving me a lot of gas money ($40/month) and travel time, because before I was picking them up after school and then going on our adventures - now we're doing everything we need to do on the way home.
I know this isn't a conventional solution, and I was a bit nervous at first (mainly about what my co-workers would think), but it's worked out beautifully. I love it and so do my dogs. They dance at the doorway when I start loading up my work gear, and get very upset when I leave them behind.
**A word of caution - this only works out because of all of the precautions I have in place. If I didn't have the big kennels, the ventlock, the kennel jackets, the water bottles, the back up house, the guaranteed lunch break, the weather monitor, the flexibility to check on them etc. this wouldn't be an option. My dogs go everywhere with me on weekends and travel with me constantly, so I experiment with all of the equipment in advance (ie. the kennel jackets). Their safety is my priority - it doesn't matter how much they love coming with me, if I have any concerns about the weather/conditions/my schedule etc. they stay at home.
SheltieChe
Forums Sage
Wow! You make me feel guilty. Do you mind my asking if you work full-time? If so, I need to step up my game
naah, don't feel bad I have semi retired hubby while I work full time. And we both like couch potato dogs in the house
so I do all playing and training and hubby does dog park and running.