Is a walk enough or do you belive dogs need to run

[Woodward23]

Its got me thinking as I was walking my 6 month old dog around the park. Some dogs were off lead some were on. Whats your view do you belive a on lead dog walk is sufficient enough exercise. Or do you belive dogs need to run their energy out

Off-lead, our dog loves racing across fields, rolling on her back, chasing after the toy we throw (and taunting us to try to get it back) and having some boisterous play with any willing dog she meets. She also loves swimming in the river. After she's burned her energy off she loves a slow meander through the woods, exploring and sniffing. We try to give her 1-2 hours of that most days. Other walks during the day are on-lead. We live in London, but are lucky to have some great green spaces nearby.

We have a 2 year old ollie, he has an orderly morning on lead walk ..... which he doesnt agree with! and an off lead run in the field and stream in the afternoon.
Having said that I booked a 1 hour slot at a dog field, he teared round for 40 minutes then got back in the car and refused to get out 🤣🤣🤣

My one year old Labrador would be insane without a good gallop through a field. I think she’d be quite unsuitable for city life where you’d no doubt get grief for having off lead dogs. Least that’s the impression Mumsnet gives.

Watching her jump through the long grass is absolutely joyful at the moment. Dogs love a good run, especially if they can do it with other dogs.

It will depend on the breed.

Some dogs don't need as much physical exercise and mental, some need more physical than mental.

Some need short cardio work out a couple of times a week with more mental'sniff' walks the rest.

Some need loads of cardio exercise.

I've got two older labradors, arthritis setting in, so I alternate.
One day off lead madness at the beach, next day, on lead walks close to home.
All afternoon walks are sniffy ones, it can take me 30 minutes to get to the end of the road. Its boring for me but thrilling for them.
I just put earphones in and listen to the Archers 😁

I DO believe all dogs should be able to run free.

We live in the countryside and my dog walks off the lead the majority of the time - it takes us maybe 5 minutes to get into one of the woods or fields around us and then she’s off the lead for the vast majority of the time and free to do what she wants - it’s very hilly where I live and a mix of fields and woods and she is free to explore and do her own thing - I walk her for around an hour / hour and a half a day and the majority of that is her running around all over the place and coming back to see me regularly. This is the norm with dog owners.

walking around a park on a lead would bore her senseless and use little energy. Dogs need freedom to explore and make their own choices otherwise they get bored and become troublesome.

At home we have a large garden and she fits through the cat flap so she can go in and out as she pleases which in the summer seems to mainly involve lying on a beanbag in the sun or hanging out with my husband in his office in the garden. She’s a lucky dog really!

I run with my dog. As she's small, I don't need the full canicross gear.

Yes, we run at my pace. But she seems to love it (I think she can show me up by running faster than me!) and is actually quite purposeful when she's running with her human - she's usually on a bungee waist lead but even when running free, she runs with us and isn't off sniffing or whatever.

It's part of a variety of walks and activities. So she'll be having off-lead in suitable open space, or on-lead sniffy pavement walk, or whatever on other days. She seems happy!

On-lead pavement walks are a bit dull for a dog, I think, if they just have to walk nicely at human pace all the time (does happen when I need to be somewhere and am taking her along too). But if it's dawdling and sniffing (reading the pee-mails, we call it) then I think it's nice for them too.

dogs need to run. but dogs need to be off lead for other reasons too...to play and to explore/sniff

Obv I am walking not just standing in the woods - I think a brisk hours hill walking does is both the world of good!

Mine needs to run and sniff. Luckily we live rurally and he has great recall so he can. He also needs the odd pavement walk so he remembers how to do it 😂.

Oh and he thinks he needs to play ball too 😂.

Depends on the dog. Mines a border collie who’s a little sod without a good couple of runs. She’s got excellent recall though and always wants to see where we are so never too far away.

My dog needs to run, not on every walk but at least once per day he will run like he is being chased for a few minutes (now that he's older) and then he's ready to go home.