To think it's not cruel to keep dogs in one day a week?

[moneypie]

I have two small breed dogs. They are taken out walks 6 days a week, sometimes twice, they have a garden to run around in and I stuff there kongs, give puzzles etc and they play with each other and the cats. I am with them basically constantly unless I have to go to shop and then my daughter is with them. I take them out in the car all the time, incorporate them into any activity I can.

However, a Sunday I like to relax, I mainly stay in the house and potter about. So they don't usually get taken any walks on a Sunday. Just some kongs and playing. They sleep most of the day on Sundays to be honest.

My brother is now claiming this is cruel, dogs need walked every day and they are sleeping due to boredom. If I had a big dog I might agree however these are tiny tiny dogs. And sometimes when we are out on walks they will start leading me back to the house so it's not as if they're desperate to walk.

I'm now feeling worried and like a bad dog owner after this conversation with my brother though. AIBU?

Sounds fine to me. Big dog lover. Your brother sounds a bit hysterical thinking it’s cruel.

Most dogs, big or small, prefer a daily walk. Some dogs need multiple daily walks. Your dogs sound totally unbothered by their routine. You’d know - by their behaviour - if they wanted a walk not a snooze.

It's absolutely fine.

As long as they can go to the toilet and have their needs met, they don't need daily walks.

You know your dogs best and if they're not clamouring for a walk, I'd say they're not that bothered.

If they have good space to run around in the garden there is nothing cruel about not walking them all the time. Ours were walked few times a week only because they had massive garden (massive dogs so probably similar ratio to small garden tiny dog 😁) to run around 🤷🏻
No one with big gardens who I know in my native country walked dogs every day.

They were all happy and stimulated dogs

So ask him what time you should expect him round to walk them.

Dogs should be walked daily, yes, ideally twice. I’m not sure I’d use the words ‘cruel’ but it’s really great, especially given your reasoning. Sometimes life gets in the way and you have to miss a walk, but you’re basically saying you can’t be arsed even though you haven’t got anything else to do.
You can tell yourself your dogs aren’t bothered, but that’s what people who don’t want to walk their dogs always say to justify it and make themselves feel better about it. It’s bullshit.

He’s an idiot

I think a lot of people fall into the trap of "dogs need lots of walks". Yes, they should go for walks to be socialized and exercised. But if they are running about at home, it's more important that they are stimulated mentally with training, puzzle toys, and given attention during play. There is so much more to keeping a dog healthy than going for walks.

Our dog is walked daily usually but she doesn’t like the heat or the rain or sometimes we might be I’ll/covid etc and she has to miss walks
she doesn’t care she gets enough engagement at home and likes to sleep

The experts say that 20 mins of sniffing (so puzzles, hunting treats etc) is equivalent to an hours walk in terms of exercise. I think some people get stuck in the thought that the only exercise dogs have is going on a walk, whereas there's so many others way to provide them with it. And mental stimulation is so important too.

Some days my dogs don't go for a walk, especially in this weather, but I give them lots of different enrichment around the house and garden. Much more stimulating than going for a walk in the same place, in my opinion. So what you're doing sounds absolutely fine

I haven't walked my dog since Wednesday, it's far too hot for him and me. He will back to daily walks on Tuesday when the temperature drops.

A vet would say no dog dies from missing a walk but they will suffer from burnt paws and heat exhaustion if walked in temperatures like we are experiencing at the moment

I think it's because the often smaller garden. Would german shepherd be happy and get enough run around in mine without walks. No. Would Pomeranian? Yes. But people just apply the rule to all. Plus lots of people keep dogs inside a lot.
That's my observations though so might not be factually correct 😁

My pom hates going for walks to the point he'll hide when we get the leads out. He did enjoy going out when younger but is quite happy pottering around the garden and snoozing (we have a flap so comes and goes as he pleases). The border collie is usually found by the back gate as soon as she hears the clatter of the leads being taken from the hook. She NEEDS the walk. I think it's all about the individual dog.

I have a working breed (beagle) he gets anywhere between nothing and five hours of walks a day (I'm a dog walker and he comes to work with me sometimes).

He's absolutely FINE to skip a walk occasionally. We do scent work in the garden, maybe some trick training and then feed his meals out of kongs etc. for
enrichment.

For example, this morning I scattered my dogs breakfast over the garden. They spent a good 20 minutes racing round, rooting in the grass for it. So simple, and took seconds for me to do, but much more mentally stimulating than just eating it out of a bowl. Exercise/enrichment comes in many forms

Your brother is an eejit
They will be absolutely fine

Not all dogs.
I have a teacup Pomeranian who hates walks and always has done. He's quite happy pottering around my garden and would go and hide if I brought his lead out.
I used to have a GSD who needed 2 long walks per day though.

Some dogs never get walked. Missing a day wont do any harm.

Mind you I darent miss a day with mine,hyperactive type, because she has her own daily schedule in her mind and wont let me divert from it! But thats mostly because I feel guilty if I dont go not because she will suffer from not going.

It’s fine. The “rules “ on walking dogs are human made, not dog made.
Dogs follow the pack leader, you say we’re going out, they’re happy to go, you say this is a rest day, to them it’s a rest day. It’s how packs work in the wild.

Of course it's not cruel. Our dog doesn't go for a set walk every day. Some days she's just out in garden for hours with DD. Other days she's out with the dog walker or us for long walks. She's a working cocker so not low energy! But having days at home means that she also handles it fine if she has to go without a walk for a couple of days if it's too hot or some other reason we can't take her. She's never climbing the walls.

It depends on the dogs. One of mine only has three legs so has to have a 'rest day'. My other dog is a very large young dog who needs to be walked every day at least once.

No, it's absolutely fine. My 2 big dogs are happy to have rest days! They have hardly been walked the past 2 weeks because of the heat, and are absolutely fine.

Absolutely fine OP. You know your dogs better than anyone, and it sounds like they’re happy with their routine.

My dog is old now but as a young un we’d skip the occasional day or even two. Dog was completely unbothered. It would be different if your dogs were working cocker spaniels or pointers or something, breeds like that need a lot of exercise.

It's not really a question of size. I have a large dog who loves his walks but who is spectacularly lazy too. He wouldn't climb the walls if a walk wasn't possible but he'd be surprised if a whole day in the week went by without some sort of outing. Personally, I think dogs like routines and if routines are usually daily walks then that's 7 days a week. Even in this hot weather you can go out very early or much later in the evening. But you know your dogs. I'd certainly not say it is cruel to have a day off all the while your dogs seem chilled about it.