To think this is cruel to dogs?

[liftitlikeitshot]

My friend has two chihuahuas who are around 4 or 5. She has an average size garden, enough for them to run about in which they do in the summer. However, we were talking the other day about how much I have to walk my Alsatian and was shocked to hear she doesn't walk her dogs every day.

Of course I know that chihuahuas need less exercise than my type of dog but she says she walks them 2-3 times per week if they're lucky and the rest of the time they just run about the garden and house and play together. She also said, 'I take them out loads in the car' ?? Not sure how that is relevant as obviously that isn't exercise.

AIBU to think that this is pretty cruel to those dogs? Should I say anything? I would offer to walk them when I walk mine but they aren't good with other dogs except each other.

It’s very cruel. My dog gets a minimum of 2 hours a day out of the house come rain or shine

My greyhound would think we were immensely cruel to her if we made her walk for two whole hours every day. She likes the odd longer walk but is happy with a short one, and a sprint round the rec, and a wrestle with her octopus toy and spends the rest of the time happily lolling about on her back the sofa, dreaming of sausages. Not all breeds have the same requirements.

It would be cruel to walk a chihuahua for two hours in the rain. They'd be utterly miserable.

And they'd let you know about it.

Absolutely.

There is a couple with a chihuahua near us and I'm sure the man has OCD as he takes the dog a walk about 10 times a day and I always think the poor little dog must be so pissed off.

@Rosehugger - yep. My old girl was a whippet / greyhound cross and she loathed walks. She'd practically have to be dragged along. She much preferred a drive to the park or beach, ten minute run (in several bursts), jump into water, dry herself on our legs and a treat. Sleep all the way home and the rest of the day.

Chihuahuas don’t need much walking if they’re active in the house/garden and they’re a healthy weight. I don’t think it’s cruel. For a larger dog then yes.

Yes, some greyhounds are also very definite about not wanting to walk in certain weather conditions. Have you ever tried to make a 25kg - 35kg dog do something it doesn't want to? Good luck with that😂

Ours doesn't mind rain but objects to ice. Fair enough, really.

So dog dependent.

I have a pack of dogs, always have had. I don’t walk everyone everyday. They have plenty of time to explore my gardens, the gardens are designed for them- in that there are trees to sniff, they can dig, there are covered areas etc. They have company, and they have access to paddocks to run.

Stimulating and exercising a dog isn’t about just walking, how much stimulation is 15 mins around the block on a lead? Versus 1 hour with another dog playing a dog game off the lead in their own garden.

apples and pears.

But still what?

Nothing wrong with what's doing, your perception is wrong though.

Educate yourself on dogs needs and requirements.

Not all dogs need walking every day I have a very large st Bernard cross. He frequently refuses to go for a walk if it is raining or there is something going on in the house or he just can't be arsed. He just stops at the gate and refuses to leave. Currently sat on a bench in the garden watching DH mow the lawn. As happy as larry. We have concluded his key skill is selective non participation.

They’re tiny dogs. If there’s two of them and a garden they have a good life - company and exercise / stimulation. I don’t think they’re exactly wasting away by the sounds of it!

It's a chihuahua. It's probably knackered by the time it's been down to the end of the garden and back...

But seriously, she's doing nothing wrong. They have space to run, company and stuff to entertain them. They go on walks and they get taken out in the car. As long as they're happy dogs then there's no issue with walking them just a few days a week.

I actually think she’s being quite a responsible owner. Mixing up outside exercise (walks) indoor exercise (playing in garden), outside stimulation (car journeys) and mental enrichment (kongs).

Contrary to popular belief walking a dog until it drops is not ideal. A physically tired dog is not the same as a mentally enriched dog.

Sounds fine to me, especially for dogs of that size. They're getting exercise in the garden everyday, walks a few times a week, enrichment activities (and going in the car can be an enrichment activity for some dogs as plenty of new sights and smells even if they're not walking)

I don't walk my two every day, I just don't have the time. H left me as a single mum with two spaniels, but I'm not rehoming them. They're happy enough running round our garden!

If they're not good with other dogs, walking them every day (if they see other dogs on their walk) could stress them out more, due to trigger stacking.

AIBU to think that this is pretty cruel to those dogs? Should I say anything? I would offer to walk them when I walk mine but they aren't good with other dogs except each other.

Do not say anything.

Even if they would get along the little dogs do not require the same sort of walk as your big dogs.

She has small dogs, you have a large dog. It's not as if she is in a flat and dogs don't go out at all. Maybe she takes them to a dog park, when she takes them out in the car.

I have a chihuahua cavalier cross and the vets told us not to over exercise him as the breed have such short legs they are prone to knee problems if walked to much. Maybe this is why.

I have a chihuahua and don’t walk her everyday - she hides if I get her harness out when she doesn’t want to go. We play games in the garden and do training. She’s also reactive so walks can be quite stressful unless I time them quite carefully so there’s not too many other dogs around. She’s a happy little thing and enjoys being at home in her own surroundings.

No, not cruel.
We walk our Border Terrier every day, but we've not got a garden appropriate for running around in.
Its not my prefered style of dog ownership, but there are definitely bigger things to be concerned about than this.

I think that’s fine, especially for small dogs and especially since they’re in a pair and have each other for entertainment
Also I think the comment about her taking her dogs out in the car is relevant as part of the reason dogs need a walk is for mental stimulation

Derail No such thing as an Alsatian-it's a German shepherd.

My lot are in a routine of walking by about 10.30, but possibly hers don't need so much exercise? I feel sorry for the dogs that are left unsupervised to play together in the park, so boring, the owners just stand round chatting, same dogs every day, none have manners.

Personally I think it would be better if she took them for a little walk most days, not for the exercise as much as the chance to see new things, smell new smells, be better socialised etc (I suspect they would be more relaxed wth other dogs if they'd always been walked, for instnace). But in terms of the physical exercise chihuahuas are an unusual case in the dog world because they don't need much walking if they've got space to play in etc and plenty to keep them busy. So while I don't think it's ideal, I don't think it's cruel.

Different breeds have different needs and it's not even always about the size of the dog - large sight hounds like lurchers or greyhounds might be fine with 20 minutes a day provided that includes a good old sprint off-lead. Some 'giant' breeds like wolfhounds and Great Danes can be really harmed by over-walking when they're young. But some little terriers like Jack Russells, Cairns, Westies, fox terriers, Patterdales etc really need a decent amount of off-lead exercise and will usually happily walk for miles and miles if you take them. They were bred for running up and down all day on rough terrain, after all.

No not cruel at all, I have smallish dogs, but they don't get walked ever day, we have a large garden and paddock for them to explore, and they love going to find where the fox has peed the night before and lots of bunnies to pretend to chase and poop to eat , the have a paddling pool a sand pit to dig in, toys and interaction and have a human around most of the time, my older boy only gets excited to go for a walk/drag because he loves the car ride and the biscuit when he gets home, the bit where exercise is enforced on him is not his favourite, the only time he quickens his pace is when we turn to return to the car and even then after 10 steps he is back to his plod.

They don't like other dogs and don't interact with them as they have been flattened or knocked over by far to many 'don't worry he's friendly' or 'they just want to play' dogs.

I know plenty of people who walk their dogs twice a day but then. the dog is left whilst they go out to work for 8+ hours or that they aren't allowed into the house apart from the kitchen, so which is more cruel?