Feeling guilty about not walking the dog, just need someone to say he's fine please

[Tufty383]

3 year old terrier spaniel Cross, loves his walks but equally happy chilling at home. I'm not very well at the moment and struggling to take him on his lunch time walk. DH takes him before work at 8 am and then again at 7pm. It just feels like a long day at home for him when we usually have an hour mid day. He's no trouble, happy snoozing with me and having a Potter in the garden but he is bursting with excitement by 7pm. The guilt is horrible though! It's such a lovely day today but I just can't do it. Hopefully this won't be for much longer. He's ok isn't he? Lots of dogs don't get 3 walks a day surely?

On weekdays when I WFH full time my border terrier is sometimes lucky enough to get 3 walks - 25m on lead early doors, 30m off-lead lunchtime run, plus an evening 20m walk PLUS a game or two in the garden.

At weekends he'll get at least two "big" walks - 3-5 miles off-lead on a beach or cross country etc.

Some days, however, he gets 2 x 20m because the weather is bad, or I have early calls etc. I feel guilty on those days thinking of all the MNers who walk their dogs for a minimum of 8 hours a day...

Sounds to me like your dog is doing fine for himself!

If it's wet our dog refuses to go out for a walk 🤣 she will go without for days at a time if the weather isn't appropriate 🙄

My doggie generally has two walks a day . Varies from 10 minutes to 1hour per walk . It really doesn’t make any difference to her if she has two 10 min walks a day or 2 hour walks . Just the routine of going out twice is all that matters.
If she does miss a walk she just has an expectant look on her face which makes me feel guilty.

He’s probably loving his life! Two walks a day and you for companionship too.,,

When the weather is really hot such as last summer dogs were walked early morning and late at night and managed fine, our dog is walked around my work schedule, she is walked every day but times vary massively.

I have two young dogs of a high energy breed (Vizsla).
I’m also 30 weeks pregnant with twins, have horrific hip pain and sciatica, and blood pressure problems which mean I can’t walk far.
I’m in the process of sending my parents to 1:1 dog training with the two of them at great expense so they can take over when I’m truly incapacitated or hospitalised, but until then they are each managing with a half hour training walk each per day plus loo breaks in the garden.
We go to an empty field and don’t even walk far, I just do exercises with them individually and together.
They are completely content, they have company all day bar the odd hour here and there. They’ve been sleeping on the sofa like this since we got in at 4.30pm and they had their dinner. I’ll have to wake them up for the loo shortly.
I don’t know how anyone has dogs that you have to walk three times a day or needs two hours off lead, mine didn’t have that every day before I was pregnant and they have never had more than one walk a day. They have a ‘play mat’ which you can see in the picture, they have chews and toys on there through the day if they want, they have a toy box that they can choose from if they want.
Your dog looks fine, I really wouldn’t worry.

@bollocksthemess.i dont Have to walk my dogs 3 hours.I WANT to walk my dogs.I assume you WANTED children and not HAVE TO HAVE them.There is a reason why I have chosen a breed that likes loads of exercise.There are loads of breeds that only need little exercise.What makes me sad,is people who choose a breed that does not fit to the owners lifestyle.

@Chuechebache I love walking and working my my dogs too. It’s why I got them. The older one has spent most of her three years of life either charging round the Peak District or retrieving pheasants at weekends. She has been on every one of our holidays with us and came on our honeymoon . The younger one is too young for all that yet but will get there with time.

My point is not to get a high energy breed and then just sit on the sofa with them. It’s that when you’re temporarily incapacitated and can’t walk them as much as you want, there’s no point feeling guilty about it. Most dogs will adapt and get on with the situation, even my high energy working breed dogs. Mine will live for 12-15years hopefully, them having ~3 quiet months isn’t something I’m going to feel bad about.

He will be fine. Like others have said, do some scent games and that will wear him out.

Don't worry about it! My 2 year old JRT gets one walk and he's very happy with it. We have a busy household so he gets plenty of attention, play time and garden visits.