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?

My 10yo Labrador doesn't always get walked very day. She is miserable walking when it is hot and would rather potter around the garden and snooze under a bush.

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.

Except that domesticated dogs don't emulate the alleged behaviour of wolves in the wilds and never have done. The whole pack leader thing was debunked years ago.

Our springer didn’t go out yesterday, I did a few find it games, scattered his food outside, gave him a frozen Kong. He can run for hours if allowed but he was quite content yesterday. This morning I walked across the road to the beach and he went for a big swim.

What you’re doing is absolutely fine.

i think personally your dogs and you would benefit from walking more

Good lord it's fine. People who sag 'dogs need daily walks' seem to forget that a 'day' is not something a dog understands.

I have a lab and he gets 90-120 min a day over 2/3 walks (weather permitting) but a small breed shouldn't be an issue

depends on the small breed - a jack russell at least has a lot of energy
a sniff around is interesting for all dogs

Is this for real? You scattered meat all over the garden? It’s a good thing they found it all or you could have a health hazard on your hands with rotting meat trapped in your flower beds or bushes.

We're in London and will have been in entirely for 4 days by tomorrow - I can't take my Pug out even at 5am - it's too hot

He will be fine to wait til Tuesday even though he has loads of energy

It's just the right thing to do

@LaurieFairyCake
i dont think the op is talking about the weather changing her dog walking routine - whatever your brother sounds annoying op

My dog was the one to decide if he wanted a walk or not. Some days I would put him on his lead and he would just sit there and refuse to budge, others he would fetch his lead and demand a walk.

He's been gone 10 years now and I still miss the big doofus.

At 6am, it was below 20 degrees

Do you honestly never walk your dog once it’s over 20?! That’s insane

Have you never heard of dog biscuits?

Pugs and other brachy breeds shouldn't be walked at all in warm temperatures as it can kill them. PP is doing the responsible thing and keeping her dog safe.

You chose to have a dog, you need to walk it every day so yes you’re being selfish. This is exactly why we didn’t get a dog as we couldn’t commit to 7 day a week walks due to a busy life.

My two spaniels have got body clocks and get extremely miffed if walked 10 minutes later than normal. They also mither me non stop, which has made the evenings horrendous this week as they've not gone out.

If your dogs aren't bothering you, they're OK.

On balance it's fine. Not something I would do with mine but certainly isn't cruel

You have no clue what you’re talking about @ClottedCreamAndStrawberries

of course she knows what she feels personally!

I’m well aware of that

but if Laurie considers 20 to be ‘too hot’ to walk them, there will be large chunks of the year they aren’t going to get a walk

And it also begs the question what the actual fuck someone is doing buying a breed that is so malformed that it can’t function at normal room temperature

Ignore him , dogs are perfectly ok if they have to miss a walk . I’m in the SE and mine hasn’t had a walk since Thursday as it’s much too hot to walk him , he’s middle aged , has some health issues but thinks he can run everywhere . I’ve been taking him for a drive with the air conditioning on instead .

They're small chihuahuas. I have taken them out everyday this week either very early morning or late night though.

Your dogs sound fine. Some dogs do need it every day others are happy not too. Each dog is different. You know if your dog is happy or not.

I do not walk my dog over 24 degrees according to the KC recommendations for Pugs

It was hotter than that at 6am. I'm in south east London and my car says it 35 outside my front door