AIBU- dogs being walked

[Swimminginthesea1]

I have a young, large breed dog who needs around 2+ hours of exercise a day. She’s fully trained and we’ve owned her since she was a puppy. There’s a show variety and working variety of her breed- shes a working variety but isn’t actually used for working purposes, she’s a family pet. She’s excitable and high energy and overall a great dog.

BUT she’s very lazy! Ideally I would want her to walk 2/3times a day so she gets a good amount of exercise and also to break up the day for her. But we’ve found that she prefers one big walk rather than a couple of smaller ones. So for example, she loves a big 3 hour walk rather than 2 1.5s or 3 1s. She loves a 2 hour walk rather than 2 2 hours or 3 45 mins. That sort of thing.

I’ve had dogs before but I’ve never had this before so I genuinely wasn’t sure what’s for the best! We live rurally so she goes on a variety of walks (woods, forests, beach, fields, streets) and once she’s out she’s happy to stay and go for a big walk, but she just doesn’t seem to like the idea of going home after a shorter walk and then going out again later for another shorter walk.

But one walk a day isn’t really ideal according to everyone and it doesn’t break up the day for her. She almost always has company- I live at home with my retired parents but I work part time so I’m home a lot but even when I’m not she always has them. She’s only really home alone when we pop to the shops for an hour or so.

so in her ideal world she would go on a 3 hour adventure to the beach/woods,fields whatever then spend the rest of the day pottering about with me or my parents in the garden (average sized) and just generally chilling.

But I’m worried that 1 walk a day isn’t great, even if it’s an extra long one. I love her to bits and want to do whatever is best for her.

does anyone have any advice or experience with this? Thanks x

Follow the dog… if he’s happy then he’s happy. Mine sometimes doesn’t want an afternoon walk… if I try and take him out he sits and refuses to move until I turn round and head home. If he doesn’t want to walk then that’s ok!

I don't understand how you would know her preference.

Does she refuse to get back in the car after 'only' an hour? Refuse to go out a second time? If either of these then you have a training issue - if not, I can't see anyway you would know her preference tbh.

Just realised I missed from my post, she gets lots of games throughout the day from me and my parents too- tug of war, hide and seek, that sort of thing.

Do what suits your dog, not what others say you should do.

I don't see a problem with one long walk a day if your dog seems happier doing this. My dog refuses to walk in the rain, anything more than a light drizzle and he turns around and goes back in the house!

I don’t understand why it would matter?

the dog will tell you if she’s not having enough exercise.

I don’t understand why two shorter walks is better than one if she has a backyard to toilet and chill in at other times.

you sound a wonderfully neurotic dog owner - which is my favorite type of dog owner. I think Un this case you can relax.

pics of dog please

You are over thinking. Your dog is telling you that if you give her one big walk, she is happy the rest of the day to do all the other things you have described.

Why don't you just try it her way and see. If her behaviour gets worse and she's bouncing off the walls then you stop the one walk and try again!

One walk is fine.

I have exactly the same op. Working breed dog (from working family) but not worked. She’s a massive lazy arse. Never known a dog sleep so much. We do one long walk a day, and then some play/scent work or training at other parts of the day. She also isn’t keen on going out at all if it’s raining. Happy to throw herself in a river or giant muddy puddle though. Previously we had a rescue show variety of the same dog breed, and she would have gone for 5 walks a day if we’d had the time🤷‍♀️

I cant comment until I see a doggy pic

Mine is also a working breed. He is happy to have one long walk. Or several! He doesn't care. But "games" aren't "games" for working breeds - they are exercise. Mental exercise is as good as physical exercise, and essential for working breeds. Their brains need activity. You are doing fine by her.

I walk my wolfhounds once a day. Any more than that and it eats into their napping time!! They are much happier having one really good walk then crashing out.

I have a mastiff so a giant breed dog. I would like to walk him twice a day, and u out of 10 he will do a morning walk, and a evening plod around.

But occasionally he refuses, now when a mastiff refuses by planting it's arse down on the floor you pretty much are at a stalemate and he isn't moving 🤣

He spends most of his days lazing about sleeping anyway. He's not destructive or pacing around my house on those days he doesn't get the second walk so he's obviously content.

So I would say let your dog decide , they will make it obvious if they want more or.less excercise.

My large high energy dog gets one walk a day. Sometimes we're only out for 45 mins or so, but he's running about, playing ball games and chasing squirrels and gets a good workout. Sometimes it's a calmer longer walk, without squirrels and balls. And about once a week there's no walk, just pottering and playing in the garden.
He's fine whatever we do.
Do what suits you OP, most dogs will adjust to what their owner and it's probably best not to have a rigid routine.

Is this post some sort of brag that you get time for that many walks a day?

Can’t believe you all are posting without giving us lovely dog pics!

Oh for god sake, there’s always one isn’t there. Bore off.

You’ve nailed me with the description! 100% neurotic 🤣

I generally only walk my dog once a day. He is a lazy little so and so and loves nothing more than snoring on the sofa. So one longer walk suits him. If that's what your dog prefers and it fits in with your lifestyle then it's fine.

What @Quveas said.

A working dog needs both types of exercise, mental (the job) and physical.

You're fine.

All dogs are different. My last dog definitely prescribed to the “2 walks a day or else” mentality 😂 the one before him, once a day was more than enough he would be dragging me out of the park after 10 minutes to go home.

Can dogs be homebodies like humans I wouldn’t? He definitely was as anyway.

He sounds like he has a lovely life Op. 3 hours in a woods, games and company all day… actually can I be adopted? 😂

Here's my mongrel, very happy with one walk a day with the odd day off.

Most 'giant' breeds and some large breeds can suffer joint/bone issues if they're over-exercised when they're still pups, but it doesn't sound like your dog is in that category, if she's an adult and a working variety of her breed - so if she likes one long walk a day, that's fine!

My dogs were small terriers, but of a breed that has remarkable stamina and will happily walk for hours and hours in all weathers, and they always much, much preferred one long walk per day, rather than a couple of short ones. They found short walks quite boring I think - they liked having lots of time to explore and scramble about and getting lots of mental stimulation from different routes and new things, which they just didn't seem to get from shorter walks.

Christ, you sound bitter