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Original poster

Do you think dogs get bored of the same walks?

26 replies

Woody479 · 29/01/2020 19:18

Our pup is 5 months old and during the week I’m tending to take him on the same couple of walks. They’re both a 2 minute drive from home and allow him to be off lead. They’re in the countryside so lots to sniff and explore. He seems to be thoroughly enjoying them I just wonder if he’s thinking ‘oh it’s this field again!’

DH walks him on lead before and after work so he’s experiencing cats, cars, other dogs, people etc and we do meet other dogs on my walk too.

At the weekend we’ve got time to go further a field but I just feel a bit bad that the week’s quite routine.

Do others stick to the same walks during the week?

OP posts:
lotsofdogshere · 29/01/2020 19:31

Don't worry - it'll be a different walk every day for him. He'll pick up lots of new sniffs and messages from dogs he never meets

It's great that he's getting on lead pavement walks as well as off lead sniffing and running walks. You can make it more interesting by taking some of his kibble, or tiny slivers of hot dog sausages/cheese/chicken - call your dog and as he runs to you, throw tiny handfuls and tell him 'find it'. He'll love it and it will reinforce you as the most interesting thing on the field rather than those other dogs

Original poster
Woody479 · 29/01/2020 19:42

Ah thankyou, that’s made me feel much better. I do take different treats with me and we do a bit of touch training, recall (he has got really good recall which is great) and I hide from him (not often though as he doesn’t venture out of sight very often)

That’s nice that he thinks it’s a different walk each time!

OP posts:
Ihaventgottimeforthis · 29/01/2020 20:54

I think dogs also value familiarity and routine, makes them feel safe and reduces stress.
It's me who wants somewhere new!

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 29/01/2020 21:43

Don't worry - it'll be a different walk every day for him.
This. Not just the smells left by other dogs but, if rural, rabbits, deer, birds and so on.

My dogs get the same round three or four mornings a week, and a set variation on it one or two mornings a week. This has been their routine for years, and every single morning they are desperate to get going.

StillMedusa · 29/01/2020 22:32

I wondered the same!
Mine is 8 months... get a quick wee walk round the block before I go to work , then when I get home at 3.30 we usually head to our country park 5 mins away where she can be off lead. We usually meet a few dogs and have a quick play with friendly ones and she hunts mice. There isn't the daylight to go further yet . I try and vary it a bit at weekends, but most walks are pretty same-y.
She likes places she can hunt mice so seems actively to prefer going to the same off lead country park!

Yestermost · 29/01/2020 22:34

Mine do get bored if we dont change the walk and love gping somewhere new. But also love meeting their friends for a play.

TheSandgroper · 30/01/2020 03:27

Mine likes a trip to somewhere new but gets tetchy when she has spent too long away from her regular park. They like to patrol their own patch regularly.

DramaAlpaca · 30/01/2020 03:36

Mine like going to the same places, checking them out, reading the pee-mails (as I call them) and replying to them. If they haven't been somewhere for a while there is constant marking, to reestablish their scent. They love being taken on new walks too, but familiarity seems to be a good thing. A walk isn't just exercise for a dog, it's a whole sensory experience. We have one regular walk and a few others that we do when we've more time.

Muddypup · 30/01/2020 05:28

Do you all think that dogs need to be off lead every day? Mine is 8 months and I take her for a quick on lead round the block first thing and before bed. During the day she’s at daycare so goes all over and always has a good run off lead.
At weekends I tend to take her to one of a selection of nearby beaches and I let her off lead there.
I just wondered if it’s ok to sometimes keep it to on lead walks. I only really dare to let her off on the beach as she’s so obsessed with birds that I’d worry she’d disappear in the woods or park.
It’d be nice to take her to those places though, but would it be cruel to keep her on a lead? I tried a long line but she just wanted to go so fast to sniff out the birds that I couldn’t manage it and had to put her back on her short one.

ThatThereWoman · 30/01/2020 05:32

I wondered this yesterday too! One of my dogs' standard walks is the school run - I wondered now whether they actually know the way or whether they still don't have a clue! They always seem very keen though.

CheddarGorgeous · 30/01/2020 05:45

I think my dog likes a mixture. The familiar routine of regular local walk where without fail he barks at a tree that he once saw a squirrel run up 5 years ago 😒 plus a new/less regular one a few times a week.

YABU to not post a picture of your puppy!

BiteyShark · 30/01/2020 05:50

If there are different smells out there I think to them it's a different walk.

We gets lots of wildlife in our garden and I can tell you if the squirrels or field mice have been in our garden BiteyDog can spend ages tracking them and it's his garden so he sees it all the time but suddenly it's becomes a field of new smells.

Shev1996 · 30/01/2020 05:54

I can take mine of a short walk and he’s as excited as ever, other dogs have passed by and cats, maybe even a fox. He’s never not been excited! Every new smell is a good smell, he’s just happy for a walk in your company 🥰

copperoliver · 30/01/2020 06:34

I personally think they get bored we do two walks a day. Mix them up. So 14 different walks a week. Even if some are only street walks. X

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 30/01/2020 06:39

I like this chat. Mine like both. The regularity of routine and new places.

I think mine both could walk to school no problem. Sometimes I might go a slightly different way and they turn their heads to walk the right way and look at me in genuine surprise when I keep going the other way

Original poster
Woody479 · 30/01/2020 06:43

Thanks for all the replies and here’s a couple of pics of him enjoying his ‘boring’ routine walk (the day the farmer had delivered a lovely pile of horse shit) and a weekend walk further afield.

Do you think dogs get bored of the same walks?
Do you think dogs get bored of the same walks?
OP posts:
Spidey66 · 30/01/2020 06:49

Cute!

Maggie does like going to new places where there's new things to explore, but also likes familiar places, I think because she knows other dogs from there (She's a social butterfly where other dogs are concerned).
When we take her to the park, she leads the way and clearly is excited to be there.

BoomyBooms · 30/01/2020 06:58

I think mine likes both! He gets excited to go to a new place, but he also knows his usual routes and gets some sort of satisfaction from knowing the way and what to expect (I think). Just yesterday we reversed part of his walk and he kept looking back at me like 'hey mum you know you're doing this wrong, right?'.

CheddarGorgeous · 30/01/2020 08:26

He's lovely! Tell us all about him Smile

user1494670108 · 30/01/2020 08:32

It's me that gets bored of the same walk everyday but the dog seems to enjoy it. He does enjoy a new woods to sniff in from time to time too (no squirrels in our regular walk!)

Yokohamajojo · 30/01/2020 09:31

I have had exactly the same thoughts! Ours get some variation in the morning, two different big nature reserve type places but the afternoon is usually the exact same walk in our local park. He does seem to love it though, meet different dogs and different squirrels, sometimes even spotting the odd rat and mouse Smile

CMOTDibbler · 30/01/2020 09:47

For puppies, you need to be taking them to as many places as possible, and especially places with people, vehicles, other animals and so on. Is he getting lots of opportunities to do that?

Original poster
Woody479 · 30/01/2020 14:00

Yes we do take him to lots of different places every weekend it’s just during the week that’s tricky as i don’t have much time to travel far. I only work part time but it’s amazing where the day goes as the school run cuts out he afternoon short.

OP posts:
adaline · 30/01/2020 14:03

Mine likes variety, but that could mean the same walk in two different directions!

We have three or four places we rotate between so he doesn't get the same walk two days running. Some are reserved for wet, miserable days, some are more for when the weather is good, some are for when I have more time etc.

Occasionally (normally weekends) we go further afield and he gets to go somewhere brand new, normally finishing with a trip to a pub Grin

peoplepleaser1 · 01/02/2020 11:10

I'm a dog walker and I'd say that most dogs rather enjoy their familiar walks especially if they are given the space to sniff and explore.

However, it can be a good idea to mix it up a bit too. If helps build a dog's resilience to experience new places periodically especially if their usual walks have similar settings e.g. all parks / woods / open fields.

I have cared for dogs who find a break from their set routine stressful and this situation can often be prevented by not keeping a routine overly fixed in the first place.

I should say that there are always exceptions to this- but if a dog generally happy and confident then variety can build resilience and flexibility.

Don't forget to include street walks if possible- so that a dog can remain happy around traffic etc.. I include this in puppy walks and this means the adult dog can happily walk in urban as well as countryside settings- this is really useful for trips, vet visits etc....