Are you walking your dogs during this grotty, miserable weather?

[TheTecknician]

I don't have any pets but I wouldn't blame any person or pooch for staying indoors today while it is cold and drizzly. And muddy too. This morning I've only seen one dog and that was inside a local coffee shop. Plus a rather bedraggled-looking pony that was being walked in the direction of its stable. It was wet through.

Hopefully we'll have some sunshine tomorrow 😎.

My elderly jack Russell would have crossed her legs for weeks rather than go out in the rain. She would begrudgingly use the garden but the second a lead came out she would find the smallest hiding hole going to avoid it.

Current dog is a spaniel so 90% fish. But even she was hesitant yesterday! But she doesn't like using the garden so she has gone for walks, but they have been shorter

At the moment she’s pretending to be deaf/dead

And this is one of the reasons I have cats, not dogs! 😁

I have two huskies so have to have them out twice a day for an hour each time, or they'll get board and eat the walls in our house.

Yeah but while its raining we've done a street walk rather than what's going to be slimey and muddy in fields or woods. Terrier doesn't care about weather but whippet is acting like we've woken up in the arctic.

None of our dogs have been keen on heavy rain or puddles or mud but we'd still try to get out, even if it's only 15 or 20 minutes round the block. Current girl is too woolly to comfortably wear a coat because she overheats easily. Thankfully she's very calm at home and not too fussed if we miss the odd day - though that happens more in summer. She had an hour long walk this morning but it's horribly muddy everywhere. We'd love some cold, dry weather because that's what suits her best.

My dogs go out for their regular walks whatever the weather. Three times a day, twice around the block and one longer one in the middle of the days. In addition, there is a quick outside for a pee before bedtime. I hear of these dogs who don't want to go out in bad weather, but sadly none of them live with me.

It is a full winter blizzard here (Nordic regions), and we have just been out for an hour. It is actually okay as long as you get all dressed up for it.

Yes, it’s just a bit of rain. If it was a proper storm I might think twice and they probably would refuse to go anyway! Only time we wouldn’t walk them is if the weather is really too hot.

Yes, three times today, Lazy Cavapoo likes short walks

Mine will absolutely not set foot out in the rain

We have 4 dogs. The rain was very heavy yesterday and all refused to go out. Light rain this morning and 2 wanted to go out, 2 saw the weather and jumped back on their sofa. They’ve all just been out as we’ve actually had a break in the rain.

We are willing to take them out in the rain but sometimes they just don’t want to. I can’t blame them.

It depends on the dogs breed. If you have a working dog or high energy breed and don't exercise it every time there's a drizzle, you're in for a rough time if you're not sufficiently exercising it whenever it rains.

If you have a pug or something similarly low energy? Fine.

I have a whippet who hates any wind, cold or rain, and will ‘put on the brakes’ as soon as we leave the house. I also hate this sort of weather, but always think, well they need exercise. But if you think about it rationally, humans also need daily exercise to keep healthy, yet how many would feel they just had to go out the house in this type of weather if they didn’t have a dog? My partner likes running, but no way would he leave the house in this weather, so why should it be any different for a dog?

Thankyou all. It appears the 'better out than' in sentiment is not shared by all dogs!

My dog goes out about five times a day, whatever the weather. I sometimes wish I'd got a proper dog that went out three times a day, galloped about and then lay on the sofa the rest of the time, but I got one of the mad ones that thinks she's missing something by being indoors. I just have a great selection of outdoor wear and a tolerant attitude to being wet and cold.

Next time I'm getting a cat.

Well yes because otherwise they wouldn't leave the house for a good few months.
Mine don't have coats and they seem to actively seek out puddles to walk through. I wear wellies and get on with it.
There's a dry towel waiting for them when we get home.

Having said that, I’m currently abroad, in 24 degrees heat/sunshine, sheltering in my room to escape the heat!! But I’m in touch with my dog sitter who has messaged earlier to ask if my darling whippet is okay to miss his walk today as he’s having a meltdown when she tried to get him out the door. I am sorry though to hear how awful the weather is over there. Just getting myself an iced drink and then back out there…..🙄

@wantam I think that’s what quite a lot of owners like about ownership- having a dog forces us to leave the house and move about and some of us appreciate that for our mental and physical health! For some people it is the only exercise they do. I do other exercise too, but the walks are still helpful in terms of my own mobility and mental health. I especially appreciated all the walking during the pandemic lockdowns

As for routine- yes, my dog does have a walk every day but it can be morning, daytime or evening, he’s not bothered and just happy to go out anytime. Some days he gets one walk, sometimes two. We’re lucky to have a flexible hound I guess, but it’s just always been this way for us, so the dog doesn’t know any different.

Yes, all 7 of them!

The only time I dont walk my dog are;
If she doesn't want to go
If there are fireworks going off
If it is too hot
If I'm asleep through working very late or illness (& then my neighbour will walk her).

To be fair, I'm the same 🤣

What sort of weather do you mean though? It's a bit grey here but not cold and certainly nowhere near bad enough to not go outside

Rains just slowed to barely nothing so our quick round the block turned into a couple of miles in the local cemetary.
Strangely enough dipshit dachsund who point blank refuses to walk in the rain absolutely loves puddles and wet leaves.

Yes I am, she was walked this morning and I need to go out soon with a 10mo and 4yo before it gets dark . I love her, but I do regret getting a dog! Didn’t realise how hard it would be when I had children

Just brilliant 😂