To think if you want to own a large dog, you should be prepared to walk it?

[Warmorangesunset]

My neighbour has a rather large dog. I don’t know the breed but it’s bigger than a Labrador. She is very open about the fact she doesn’t take him out for walks at all, as she says he pulls on the lead and can be volatile so is a risk to others. She says that he gets his exercise by going in their garden (around 25ft?)

I am not a dog owner so maybe this is acceptable and just what some people do, but I was under the impression that large dogs needed to be walked once or even twice a day.

You can often hear the dog barking outside. I am perfectly willing to accept that I should just keep my nose out, but I hate to think of a dog in distress and not getting proper care.

YABU: it’s fine to let dogs go in the garden rather than take them on walks. Keep out of it.

YANBU: this is not acceptable or fair on the dog.

If this is the case, should I report it to anyone? If so, who? RSPCA?

All dogs need exercise from chihuahuas to Great Danes and if you aren’t prepared to do that you shouldn’t have a dog.

Sounds like every episode of It's Me Or The Dog. Owners don't take their dogs for walks > dog gets restless, hyper and worse behaved > poor behaviour means owner doesn't take dog out > behaviour worsens...

All dogs need exercise and stimulation, from a chihuahua to a Newfoundland. Unless there is a reason why the dog can't be walked (too hot, vet advises rest) then its unfair to the dog. Sadly, there's not really anyone you can report it it. I doubt the RSCPA would be interested in a dog that is fed, not abused, just not taken outside the garden for exercise.

Some dog owners are irresponsible idiots. Unfortunately if the dog is otherwise in good health and not mistreated to the point of injury, there’s nothing you can do about it and no one to report it to. Noise nuisance to the council if it’s a big issue, but even then that’s unlikely to do much.

YANBU but RSPCA won’t be interested if it’s fed, watered and not physically abused.

It drives me nuts. I have 2 labradors and they get walked every day. If you want a large powerful breed then you need to train and exercise it.

We've always had strong, intelligent breeds in our family and my grandparents always used to say if you own a dog that you can't physically overpower, you better make damn good and sure that you never have to.

You train those dogs from tiny puppies, you do it every day, never ever let it lapse because you have to know that dog will obey you under any circumstances before it gets so big and strong that you can't make it. If you don’t have time or are too tired, don't get the dog.

My old neighbour told me her dog didn’t need walking as it was an ‘indoor dog’ she used to put it in the garden to play (i.e lock it out for six hours a day to bark) and that was enough. also didn’t think I’d notice/be able to hear. From next door, in our small row of terraces with a 50ft garden. Presumably the five foot broken wooden fence acted as a sound barrier? Someone should let the airports know…. I do not miss her.

My neighbour has 10 small dogs which have never been walked. They yap all day and if I go into the garden then they get even more demented. The house stinks and there is dog waste everywhere, nothing is cleaned up. The dos go to the toilet in the house and it's so dirty and unhygienic. I nearly threw up the one time I went inside to help her with something.

Yadnbu.
She is a lazy ignorant dog owner who should not have a dog at all.
The garden,of any size,becomes,to a dog,an extension of the home and is neither stimulating nor any replacement for proper exercise.
Any way you can download the importance of exercise and anonymously put it through her door?
This makes me so angry.that poor dog has no choice in this and when the problems arise from boredom she will dump him at a rescue.
Or try to sell him.
If you can help him in any way,please do so.🌈

All dogs need walked (except mine when it's cold and raining where she'll actively refuse to leave the house 😆) however there won't be anything you can do about it. RSPCA only intervene if badly abused and/or not fed and watered

It depends tbh - if it’s an anxious dog with behavioural issues, sometimes it’s beneficial to not walk every day as being outside it’s territory can cause significant stress and make issues worse. Many experts now think walks aren’t the be all and end all for dog wellbeing. BUT if you’re following that kind of training you need to be replacing them with enrichment activities and training at home. Which if the dog is regularly left to bark in the garden sounds unlikely.

Could you find out if there are any enclosed dog walking fields near you? Then pass that info on to your neighbour? That way she could exercise her dog off lead and work on some training in a safe enclosed space. I don’t know if she’d take you up on it but sometimes if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew with an animal you might need a bit of help finding a solution.

No its not acceptable, all dogs need and deserve to be exercised and socialise. She should do the right thing and rehome him. RSPCA won't do shit unless he's being abused

She’s a bad dog owner. I’m totally unfit, but still take the dog out each morning for a walk, play ball in the afternoon, go to the dog park for a couple of hours in the evening, or a long walk in the park.

They need outside contact, sniffing, seeing the world. It’s awful to keep a dog cooped up.

It’s their mental health you’ve got to worry about the same as ours they need time outside to run loosen burn off energy. I have a tiny dog she looks hilarious but to she needs to get those little legs moving and time off the lead as well to sniff and generally do dog things

That sounds like something the RSPCA would look into, have you contacted them??

Yes, all dogs should be walked, and some breeds need a lot of exercise.

But it’s not only the physical exercise they need, it’s the mental stimulation as well.

Because a dogs sense of smell is so acute, a walk offers new smells and information each time.

Being left in a garden offers nothing new, unless perhaps the scent of a hedgehog passing through.

Can you be the annoying neighbour who keeps telling her “oh I read this article that says…..”

Although I remember trying to tell a friend about the dangers of an untethered dog in the front of a car didn’t go down well.

I would call the RSPCA or maybe dogs trust so someone can go round and educate her on how to actually look after a dog. She may realise it's you though so be prepared for fall out.

That’s total rubbish! I was at work yesterday (pet supplies shop) and a very slight woman came in with a huge Rottweiler who was probably the best behaved dog in the shop all day. It’s all down to training which your neighbour obviously can’t be bothered to do. Poor dog!

This is a huge bugbear of mine. Neighbours have a dog which never goes out and they only have a tiny yard. No mental stimulation. When I see the pleasure mine gets just through sniffing new smells in the park and meeting his mates
it makes me sad for the poor thing. RSPCA will do nothing if its fed and watered and not physically abused

Neighbour near me has a GSD. I've lived here seven years and I've never actually seen it. It gallops up and down the garden when anyone walks past the house and barks quite a lot as well, sometimes late at night and early morning.

According to another neighbour, it has never been walked since he got it.

Lazy, inconsiderate bastard!!

Unfortunately the RSPCA won't be interested in a dog that isn't walked, if they got involved with every unwalked dog they'd never have time for anything else.

All dogs need walking, my 11 year old, 5.7kilo dog needs her daily walks for the exercise and for the mental stimulation: sniffing, exploring, running after her ball etc.

She also goes out into the garden but a garden alone isn't enough for any dog.

One of my neighbours has a bichon frise that is hardly ever walked. She sticks it out in the garden and everyone has to listen to it's non stop barking, poor thing.

Unfortunately, there really isn't anyone you can report this to.

Yes and actually walk it, not just stand about in the middle of a small park meant for kids and let the dog run riot. Which is what people do around here. Go to the big park and walk with your dog!

Totally agree. Our labrador gets 3 walks a day, sometimes up to 8-10 km. He is a healthy weight and burns off some of his unlimited energy, meaning he sleeps well and behaves at home. We see so many fat labradors being trotted round the block, never allowed to run, and the owners lamenting the fact they are on expensive arthritis treatment aged just 6-7. Our vet told us explicitly when our boy was 9 weeks old ‘don’t let him get fat’, as this breed, given their way, would just eat all day. A big dog needs exercise, rain or shine, and if you’re not up for that, get a goldfish.

That dog would probably have a brilliant life with a more experienced (less lazy) owner ☹️.