If exercise rules are tightened ....

[MilkTrayLimeBarrel]

Looks like the rules will be tightened because of the mindless idiots who cannot stay at home as they have been instructed to.

My question is this - what on earth are we going to do about our dogs? They have to be exercised and they need to do their business outdoors so what will happen?

@Magicbabywaves I think everyone currently living in a country where it IS happening thought the same thing....and then it happened.

I will break the rules, going out at night with my head torch if necessary

But it's not necessary, is it? It's just you thinking everyone else should comply but you are the exception. You can exercise in your house.

It's not going to happen. The vast majority of people are complying.

Those shots in London yesterday show people social distancing and exercising. There is no real problem with people sitting on a bench for a short time providing they are two metres from others.

I walked 3 miles in London yesterday, through a Royal Park and down to the river - was never less than 2 metres from anyone. My dog loved her walk.

She will get exactly the same today.

@Rosa I spend all my time looking after my toddler so can only do limited brain games for the dog, we have limited space, we couldn't even keep our collie on a lead after he was neutered as he went crazy.... I genuinely don't think it would be safe keeping our dog around our child if we weren't allowed to exercise him.

Once again the actions of the few may have a detrimental effect on the many. What is the matter with these selfish people?

Thankfully I have a garden but I enjoy a walk. However, seeing the sunshine this weekend I have decided to stay at home partly for my own protection and partly to allow others stuck in flats to have a bit more space.

@Seventyone72seventy3

For me it is necessary. I need to exercise, it's really important for pregnancy and my dog needs to exercise. We aren't in the middle of a city, we wouldn't affect anyone else.

@Lumisade Why can't you exercise indoors? (Or in your garden if you have one). EVERYONE feels it is necessary but if everyone had the same attitude the lockdown ceases to exist!

I suppose horses which can be turned out will have to be

Those with health reasons to be kept in would have to be exercised - It would probably help if BHS and RCVS drew up a framework of what is the reasonable minimum, then owners use a letter system (as humans do in France) to demonstrate why their horse needs a particular form of exercise. Lunging seems a good call, as that is likely to be the easiest to distance

I think a lot of these pictures are manipulated by the media to whom “doom! Disaster! More lockdown!” Is a good way to sell content

I think they should ban dog walking in parks now. Too many dogs running off leads approaching other people. Acting like parks are nothing more than dog toilets.

If your kids don't like exercise routines I recommend Go Noodle for fun active games and dances that they follow along with the presenters. It's on YouTube or a website and you can choose from lots of them.

@seventyone72seventy3

Because I don't have a tonne of space and my collie is used to running around outside for at least one and a half hours a day. If you're used to being in a city and are used to a sedentary life, as I suspect you might be then maybe you can accept the idea of not leaving your house, but for the rest of us the idea of no exercise with no end in sight would be like hell.

Exercise is necessary for physical and mental health, and I don't know if you've noticed but your health is kind of important if you were to get ill, say with a little virus like SARS-Cov-2.

Also, I am not breaking any rules at the moment. This thread is speculative.

I wonder how many prospective irresponsible dog owners will think it's fine to get a dog after reading so much stuff about dogs not needing that much exercise.

Thankfully I have the laziest collie in Britain and 1/4 acre garden for the necessities but young dogs could have behaviour problems for life if they aren't exercised and socialised properly, all because some people wanted a bbq on hove beach

@lumisade It may be speculative but it is pretty selfish to post that if it becomes a rule you are going to break it anyway because you think you are a special case. I am not used to being sedentary. I hate being stuck indoors (I live in a flat and have been indoors for over a month now). It seems to me that you are rationalising that other people like staying indoors to justify that you don't want to modify your own behaviour at all. I take it from your last post that you do actually have a garden, so really there is no excuse.

I’ve got children and a dog. I can easily get the kids to be active indoors, the dog is a fucking nightmare if he doesn’t get a decent walk every day.

Dog owners do need to be careful now if letting them off lead. It’s not ok to let them run up to people. We’re keeping ours on lead which is difficult but I feel like it’s the responsible thing to do.

I think we have found the Most Important Person in the country: it's Lumisade !

Pregnant, indeed. Funnily enough, this being Mumsnet, there are quite a lot of people on here who happen to have had or are having babies. And a few of us have dogs. Actually quite a few people worldwide have been pregnant.

In Italy you need a permit to go out. One person at a time. Children are not allowed out full stop. Dogs may be walked for 200m to go to the loo.

I have heard of no special exceptions for pregnant women with collies.

I could see some advantage to saying you can only go out for exercise on your own or with one child (unless a single parent). That would stop the family outings to the supermarket and also the couples and families blocking entire pavements. But to be fair, they are an annoyance rather than a serious health risk and any restrictions need to be evidence-based, ie is a 2km radius for exercise going to reduce the risks or is it just a control mechanism.

Dog owners do need to be careful now if letting them off lead. It’s not ok to let them run up to people. We’re keeping ours on lead which is difficult but I feel like it’s the responsible thing to do

Our local council has now said that if you are in an area where there are other people your dog must be on a short lead. Not sure if that is just guidance, although there are general restrictions this time of year because of nesting birds.

I’m in Spain, my 2 year old doesn’t understand why she can’t go out, we exercise inside, play tickle monster and spend a bit longer in the shower you just make do. (No we don’t have a dog).

Lumisade now might be a good time to learn other ways to manage your mental health. If you are used to exercising outside it will of course be tough if you can’t do it, but telling yourself it is ‘like hell’ to not be able to exercise outside is not helpful, and is just making things worse for yourself.

The reality is it’s just something unpleasant you will need do get used to (but less unpleasant than, eg, someone you love dying of Covid 19). Your pregnancy will not be affected by you exercising indoors, though I appreciate your mental health might suffer. Like I said, use this time to find other ways to increase your mental resilience. Have you tried meditation?

I don't want to have to make sacrifices because other people have chosen to keep dogs☹️

I thought we all had to make sacrifices UYScuti

My family in Italy are literally despairing at how so many are behaving in the UK, they have said for a while now that we will end up as restricted as they are.
Only my sister is allowed to leave the house, she has a permit and can use it to go to the supermarket or pharmacy and to walk their dogs. She is regularly stopped and checked.
The rest of the family haven't left the house for 3 weeks now, it is tough but they literally have no choice.
So yep, thanks to the dickheads that think the rules are for everyone else, I'd say it's inevitable we're headed the same way!

I think the children are slightly more important than the dogs!