How bad is it to not (regularly) walk dog?

[hogdog]

Dog is aged 3, medium sized and belongs to friend of close relative. They started off well walking dog but now hardly ever take the dog out. It is medium sized and good but excitable temperament. I'm not sure how fussed the dog is about going out, he can get into the garden whenever he wants for as long as he wants and it is a medium to large sized garden.

A few people live in the house so he is never left alone, but none of them hardly ever bother to take him out for a walk.

I have never had a dog so I don't know if this is a normal life for some dogs or if this similar to like child neglect that would have to be reported?

I can't prove the dog isn't taken out, he has a collar and loads of leads but they are not used.

My friend who is a big dog lover says large gardens are great for playing and relaxing, but in general a dog will also need a walk as it’s good socialisation for them and enrichment with new smells, people etc.

Your friend is right. Not to walk the dog is a miserable thing to do and may well lead to behaviour problems later.

The RSPCA won't care. But it isn't OK for a younger, excitable dog. An old, small, not very active dog, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But dogs love walks; sniffing, meeting other dogs, pooing.

Thats very sad.
Dogs need to leave the home environment for walks ideally twice a day. Their sense of smell is so much more highly tuned that the endless sniffing along pavements and of other dogs and basically everywhere they go is like them reading a newspaper or having a doggie chat. Its good for their mental health and exercise is good for physical health.

Could you suggest that the exitable dog would love to go for ealkies and would benefit from a bit of exercise off lead in a park or on lead around the area.
I presume the lazy owners haven't bothered to train the dog to recall so will say it never comes back. If no one had taught you to read you couldnt do that either.

Generally most dogs will need to go out for walks or they will go absolutely crazy.

But on an individual level there will be some that are not so fussed and be happy enough if they have plenty of stimulation and a garden.

My last dog was a doberman and he needed walking for miles. My current dog is a toy breed and playing outside is enough most days, we do complex games though like scentwork. She is an indoorsy girl and would mostly rather stay on the sofa than go on long walks. It's great when I'm busy but a shame that she can't manage 6 hours hikes at the weekend as I'm very outdoorsy haha. It depends on the dog and their age etc, tajt said even around the block once or twice a day for mental stimulation would be better than nothing.

Maybe offer to walk the dog if they can't

Well no one is going to prosecute someone for thsi…and I guess many people have ‘yard’ dogs ( which never go out) …..but I think it’s very sad….out dog love the smells….he loves his regular walks…..and he loves new walks…..he’s a proper towny…….loves town and city walks best…..although he did climb snowdonia this year at age 11.5 years 😊….his idea of a good day out is taking the train to Liverpool….he gets so excited 🤣
my neighbour doesn’t really walk her dog….maybe a couple of times a month….she has started to a bit more now as she said he was starting to turn his back and look at the wall and she thought he might be a bit depressed

Our dog is only small and nearly 12…..will walk for hours if he wants to….but if he doesn’t just stops and refuses to move….we just put him in one of those dog packs and carry him on our backs sometimes for hours ….it’s no bother with a small dog

A dog needs a decent walk every day (and by a decent walk, I don't mean five minutes up to the corner and back). It's not just for physical exercise - dogs need to be socialised and to experience new sights, smells, people etc. A dog that only ever exercises by running around its own garden will be very bored and under-stimulated, and it can also cause behavioural issues. My next door neighbour's dog is never walked and as a consequence she is either stressed and fearful or out-of-control excited whenever she sees another person, because it's such an alien thing to her to see someone who isn't a member of their family.

Unfortunately, the RSPCA can do nothing about this, because there's no law that says you have to walk your dog or that not walking a dog constitutes neglect. But it's awful to have a dog and not walk it.

I don’t agree they need to go out twice a day…..ours is nearly 12 ….he’s never had 2 walks a day…never …..if you say Wilkie’s after he’s been out he doesn’t bat an eyelid……he’s done …..once is enough

Its not great for a large young dog, they need exercise and mental stimulation. Im feeling guilty today as mine not been a big walk yet today as i was Nightshift last night. He will get a big run once my coffees kick in!

I have a small breed of similar age and would be climbing the walls if not walked every day. Dogs need the mental stimulation of different smells etc as much as the physical exercise.

I would be incredibly worried if a dog I knew of wasn't exercised properly - as PPs said, it can leave to serious behavioural issues. In several breeds, it often manifests as aggression eventually. Depending on the breed, this is a recipe for disaster.

That being said, no one will do anything.

Personally? I would not be impressed in my relatives didn't raise this with the person who owned the dog and just sat idly by and accepted the negligence. But I am a firm believer that dog ownership is a responsibility and a privilege, not a right and that if you choose to own a dog, you make the necessary sacrifices to do so properly.

Huge yard = x1 daily good walk.

Small/no yard = at least x2 daily long (at least 30 mins) walks

Say something, it's cruel.

My dogs would be climbing the walls without a walk. We have a big garden and they have free run of it, but the excitement when you pick up the lead to take them somewhere new is very endearing. It doesn’t have to be hours or miles but lots of sniffing, things to see (pub), looking out of the window when driving to The Walk. If they don’t get walked, they pant, they zoomie and one of them will hump - they will all huff about looking for ways to burn off their excess energy. They also eat and sleep better after a walk, due to the stimulation.

it’s mean to keep your dog at home all the time. My friend’s dog can’t walk miles any more so she pushes her in a little buggy and gets her out to sniff and do her business periodically because she loves it.

If there are multiple people able to walk the dog but they don't then they need to hire a walker, this is really cruel to do to a dog and will set them up for behavioural issues down the line, please say something.

Well, they’re rubbish dog owners, but so many people are, honestly. There’s no one to report something like this too who will care, so your only hope is making them feel guilty enough to change their routine, but usually that just means they’ll be very defensive and nothing changes.

Poor dog.

This seems like a loaded question and I'm not sure on why you are asking.

Of course a dog should have some mental stimulation daily whether that's a walk, training, nose work or general exercise.

However you mention that you don't know for certain that it's not being walked daily or really have a good idea of its daily life. But you do know that it has lots of leads???

There are plenty of dogs unfortunately being abused and I don't think the RSPCA will be too interested in a well looked after dog who is lacking in exercise.

On a positive note, it's not left alone which I believe is as bad as not getting exercise and I assume is being well looked after.

I have a friend who doesn't walk her Springer spaniel, he's 3 and I shut up in a small yard. How he hasn't gone nuts is beyond me, I'm disgusted at her for not walking an active, working breed and have told her so many times but apparently running around the yard is enough for him.

Our cocker is walked twice a day without fail, if we don't walk her she's an absolute nightmare, plus the joy and excitement she gets when you just say the word walk makes my absolute day.
Selfish, lazy bastards.

I do know for certain but I cannot prove it if say the RSPCA turned up.

I don't know how to word it without them thinking I am the mean one for making them feel bad.

Does it matter if they think you’re mean?

It is really impossible to generalise. For some dogs, other kinds of stimulation are actually better than walks. For some, walks are vital.

Dogs need walked every day, preferably twice a day. IMO it is neglectful.