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Original poster

Dog owners, come and tell me how often you walk your dogs, and help me decide if we should get a dog

73 replies

MmeLindt · 21/11/2008 09:32

and how to persuade DH that we should get a dog

I am thinking of getting a dog but don't know how to organise the walks etc.

The only thing that is stopping me is the fact that DH is away quite a bit and our DCs are only 4yo and 6yo. If the last walk is about 7pm, will the dog be ok?

Also, what kind of dog do you suggest? Must be smallish and obviously child-friendly.

OP posts:
nuclear · 21/11/2008 09:36

we have a lab who gets an hour a day.

our next door neighbours nave a spaniel (not sure which type) and they have to walk him 4 times a day they were not aware of this when they picked the puppy !!!

Labs are lovely companions but the dog hair gets right on my nerves and send me quite barking mad

JumpingDizzy · 21/11/2008 09:37

Hi, I got a rescue dog in May who's great with my kids. I walk him twice a day usually but we have a big park over the road so he gets a good run. I was told not to let him off the lead as he hates other dogs Thing is he'd not been socialised and within a week he was fab Giles was 16 months when I got him and he'll be 2 in January.

He's whippet collie cross. I'd go to a rescue centre if there's one nearby and ask them advice. Unless you want a pedigree? I wouldn't though as they get more illnesses as a rule. Plus there are so many unwanted dogs out there.

mysterymoniker · 21/11/2008 09:38

I work with dogs and my dog comes to work with me, also to the yard (horse) so he has a good 2 or 3 hours off lead exercise most days

but he is a working springer spaniel, they need lots of exercise - however they are v friendly (if tad neurotic) child-safe dogs

there are many good reason why so many families have labs/retrievers btw

flowerybeanbag · 21/11/2008 09:38

I would suggest a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, we have one, pics on my profile. Very child friendly, quite small and doesn't need too much exercise.

He has one big walk a day and otherwise pops out in the garden for the toilet. When you say last walk at 7, does that mean the dog won't have access to outside after then? Probably not ok tbh.

gokwancarr · 21/11/2008 09:42

we have 2 little dogs, and they have to be let out at 6am, and let out at half nine pm, any longer than that and they pee on the floor. we also take their water up at 7pm. they have one hour walk in the am, and one short one after theirr dinner at 5pm. (so no poo in garden)would like to walk them for longer in pm but have 6mo, so not feasible at present. as long as you can commit to at least an hour's excercise a day IME it doesn't really matter what time of day it is.
we had no experience with training dogs before we got ours - it is very time consuming!! be prepared for lots of mess and noise, it really is like having another dc. but once trained well dogs can become a very welcome addition to the family. do loads and loads of research first.

ilovemydog · 21/11/2008 09:45

We have 2 Golden Retrievers and they absolutely have to have an hour minimum every day.

If I had to start over, would get a poodle or a non shedding dog!

Also, size isn't necessarily an indicator of how much exercise the dog may need. Spaniels are manic and need loads and loads of walks.

Macdog · 21/11/2008 09:47

I had a Springer spaniel.

During the week he got a BIG walk, off lead chasing balls and trains(!).

Weekends he got HUGE walk up in the woods/beach/country park etc for a few hours.

He lived outdoors and had a kennel/run though.

twoluvlykids · 21/11/2008 09:52

i've got an English Springer and he's now middle aged (7) and calmed down a bit. He coud walk for miles and then need more, he doesn't get as much as he needs.

We had a Border Collie for a while - don't get one as a pet. Highly intelligent, they need to be working. He had massive epiliptic (sp) fits while still young, and I made the decision to have him put to sleep.

I would like a Cocker Spaniel - still mad, but a bit smaller. Be prepared for lots and lots of time, mess, dog hair all over the place, muddy floors, strange smells - but dogs are great pets.

twoluvlykids · 21/11/2008 09:53

Sorry, he gets 2/3 walks a day, but could do with 4.

He quite often swims in the sea, which he loves and that wears him out (I'm only 15 min drive from the sea - not much help if you're inland)

mysterymoniker · 21/11/2008 09:55

as for persuading husband, um, see smoking thread - you could say absence of dog in life is causing stress and you will leave him

hippipotami · 21/11/2008 09:59

I have a cocker spaniel who is utterly brilliant!
He gets walked for either 45 minutes a day off lead or taken to the park for 45 minutes of mad ball-games by me during the day. Then in early evening dh will walk him on-lead through the village for around 30 minutes(usually collecting/dropping the dc from various friends houses or clubs / activities at teh same time) This does not happen every evening but most evenings.
The rest of the time he has access to our large garden, where he will amuse himself by digging, chasing the birds, sleeping on the patio in the sunshine or run around with the dc or play football with ds.
At the weekend we will go and have a family walk along the canal or in the woods for around an hour or so.

ohdearwhatamess · 21/11/2008 10:01

I have a 6 year old springer. He gets at least one 45-60 min walk each weekday (and a similar afternoon walk if circumstances allow).

At weekends he gets 4 good long walks (1.5-2 hours each), to try and compensate for inadequate weekday walks.

Almost all of it is off lead and he does a lot of running (and springing).

Hoping to walk him more (as much for my sake as his) once ds1 starts preschool.

Original poster
MmeLindt · 21/11/2008 10:01

We had a Springer when we were kids, fab dog but if you looked into her eyes you could see clear through to the back of her head. I don't think that I would go for such a mad dog though, would drive DH up the wall.

I normally walk the kids to school and then have a walk through the vineyards for around an hour and it occurred to me that I am missing a dog in my life.

Lake Geneva is only 10 mins walk away so a dog that likes to swim no problem, althougth they do get very smelly when they have been swimming.

I could let the dog out into the garden for a last wee in the evening. Can you train them to do their poos during the day so we don't have it in the garden?

Not bothered if pedigree, but would prefer one that does not shed too much hair.

OP posts:
hippipotami · 21/11/2008 10:04

My cocker spaniel does not shed too much hair. He gets a good brushing once a week and this seems to pick up most of this loose hairs. As a child we had a labrador cross who shed hair constantly.

Oh, Lake Geneva, wonderful.

ohdearwhatamess · 21/11/2008 10:05

If they're on dry food they'll probably only need to poo once a day (once past the puppy stage).

JamInMyWellies · 21/11/2008 10:08

We have a cross basset cocker and he is mad as a march hare. He gets walked once a day for about an hour off lead in fields so gets a big run around. He then runs in the garden loads. We got him when DS was 8mth old no probs as they are sort of growing up together.

You could train them not to poo in the garden but some dogs just poo more than others our go's every time he is outside.

Although I would be very keen to get a dog from a shelter be very selective about the shelter you choose from some are rubbish at making sure you get the dog that suits your family whereas others are fab.

bella29 · 21/11/2008 10:19

Big long walk in the morning then shorter walk anytime in the evening. 7pm is certainly fine for last walk, as long as the dog is let out into the garden for a wee last thing.

Dogs will generally do their poos off the premises if they can!

Fab location, btw.

Good luck with the persuasion

hippipotami · 21/11/2008 10:19

Awww, a cockerxbasset - my two fave dog breeds crossed, he must be gorgeous

TrinityRhino · 21/11/2008 10:24

we are thinking of getting a dog in the next year or so

I am in love with my friends samiod (sp?) but to get a pedigree we are looking at £950 ish

I didn't realise that pedigree dogs got more illnesses, why is that???

TrinityRhino · 21/11/2008 10:24

and does anyone know what dog the Andrex puppy is??

hippipotami · 21/11/2008 10:29

Golden lab puppy I believe

Lovely dog, but need lots of exercise adn are extreme shedders.

TrinityRhino · 21/11/2008 10:30

oh dear extremem shedder does not sound good

singyswife · 21/11/2008 10:36

I have 2 collies and they need a lot of excercise. having said that I take them a walk in the mornings about 9am for 30 minutes (off lead ball chasing etc) and then they are normally left in till about 230pm ish. They get taken out a walk for about and hour after school and then get let out for a pee at 10pm. At the weekends (incl Friday), they get much bigger more energetic walks and this suits them.

mysterymoniker · 21/11/2008 10:37

pedigrees are a bit more inbred - not sure they get more illnesses as such but risk of inheriting various problems is higher

eg deafness in dalmations, hip dysplasia in many breeds

obviously short haired dogs less prone to shedding - greyhounds? they make lovely lovely gentle pets and don't need level of exercise and thousands of retired ones needing homes

mistlethrush · 21/11/2008 10:42

We've got a collie sized xbreed rescue - had her before ds arrived and she is absolutely wonderful with him (he's now 3.5, she's 9). She has 30mins first thing (now in the dark mostly) and 1 - 1.5hrs during the middle of the day, with access to the garden at other times including last thing at night.

Some dogs never do soil in their garden, but not sure whether this is a realistic approach - we just ensure that we clear up the garden on a very regular basis - much easier now we've got a larger garden.