Walks - how long and how often?

[walkingthewalk]

How long and how often should a large sized dog have?

We are thinking about getting a huskie, lab or german shepherd but I'm not sure we will be able to offer the walks they would need.

What would happen if they didn't get walked a couple of times per week? Would that be a no no?

Do not get a big dog like that unless you have the time to walk it twice a day.
They need to be exercised it would not be fair to get one and not be able to spend the time with it that it needs.
I'd suggest to get a cat if you don't have time to walk a dog.

What would happen if they didn't get walked a couple of times per week? Would that be a no no?

I think if you have to ask then you shouldn’t get a dog in all honesty, never mind a challenging breed like husky or german shepherd. Sorry. Maybe try a hamster (they don’t need walking incase you weren’t sure).

Would two half hour walks be sufficient or even more than that?

If you have a large garden and pick an older dog then it shouldn't be a problem..

Dogs need to go out twice a day it's not fair otherwise. It's a massive commitment. Most larger breeds also need off lead running for their mental health and to be settled at home

Does it matter what times the twice a day are and of it isn't the same time schedule each day?

What would happen if they didn't get walked a couple of times per week?
Was this a typo?
You need to walk those breeds every day

Huskies need a least 2 hours a day .. so that's every day maybe 1 hour before work and at least 1 hour after work .. it doesn't sound like that is something you could commit to.
So if you are going to get a dog I'd suggest to go to the local dogs home and get the smallest and oldest dog there, that would just be happy curling up with someone and a few light walks throughout the week.

If this helps - I have a small dog and he gets half an hour at least, twice a day. Then a couple of times a week we do bigger walks that are in a new place and for longer.

Big dog I would expect an hour twice a day if they need it but not my area of knowledge.

Re skipping walks… umm it’s generally the highlight of their day and they love going out doing their exploring. Missing out on a walk is a bit mean if it’s frequent.

Thanks all this is helpful.

Sorry to ask such novice questions but a few people I know have varying breeds of dogs and I don't always see that they get walked. A relative has two big dogs, not sure on breed as unusual looking and unless they go out very early or very late I don't know if they ever even go out. They must I guess.

I just wanted to work out what was normal and acceptable.

An hour a day (2 x 30m) I could do with a longer second walk on a weekend I could do.

Why the macho breeds? Huskies are bred to pull sleds for miles over snow, it doesn't take a genius to work out twenty minutes around a cul-de-sac will be an exercise in misery.

Look at a nice retired greyhound or even better, take the local shelter's advice if you are determined to press ahead.

Our LabX gets a total of 1.5-2hrs per day with one walk in morning between 6-10am and one in evening between 6-9pm plus free access to a long garden during the day. At the weekend she’ll get a 2hr longer walk plus a ‘wee’ walk 15-20mins pre bed. They need a lot we managed because I do one walk and DH does the other. I’m not well at moment but still had to drag my bum upto local field to play ball for 20mins to wear dog out abit but by 6pm when DH came home she was bouncing off the walls so he took her out for over an hour. If we don’t walk her the bad behaviour creeps out, with destructive behaviour & food stealing & her calm settled nature disappears. Don’t consider getting a big dog unless walking daily is something you’d enjoy Every Day come rain, snow, dark, hot, etc. we were up walking at 5.30am during recent hot weather.

For comparison we have a Lhasa apso who gets walked for an hour every morning. She positively hates being walked for a second time & would rather play games instead for an hour or so (on & off). And that’s a small breed.

Please don’t get a dog unless you can walk it daily according to its needs not yours.

Huskies need to run. For hours. Everyday.

Even German Shepherds and Labradors need a good two hours or so a day in order to be happy and well-stimulated.

If you only have time for two thirty minute walks a day please don't even consider any of those breeds. If you don't have time to walk your dog everyday, please don't get a dog at all.

There will be many people who keep the

Oops.

There will be many people out there who give inadequate care to their dogs - who don't walk them, who keep them in kennels for hours on end with no company or stimulation, but that doesn't mean it's okay or that you should get a dog you absolutely cannot cope with.

I don't believe a dog needs a daily walk to be happy/healthy as long as needs are met in other ways, e.g. lots of play (with you, not just left to own devices in the garden), mental stimulation, trick training etc. It is often more time consuming than a walk and certainly I wouldn't do it more than a couple of times a week and only if I had the time that day to concentrate on the dog. I don't walk our (active terrier, just under 2yrs) dog twice a day on a regular basis, she typically gets an hour in the morning, trick training at lunch, some kind of food toy in the afternoon and then play/training in the evening. I wouldn't advise getting a dog knowing you couldn't walk them a few days per week as it sounds like that's a time availability issue.

Definitely doesn't matter about walking dogs on the same daily schedule as long as that's clear from the off - you'd have problems if you always went out at 7am for a year and then suddenly wanted to do later walks.

We have two lab crosses and they get two walks a day - around 45 mins each although several times a week and at the weekend they'll get longer. They also have almost continual access to a large garden to play.

Every once in a while - if we're ill, in the super hot weather, etc, we'll skip one of their walks but this is a rare exception - they really need it, for health, stimulation, behaviour.

And they love their walks so much!

Dogs need mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. I know two different lab owners who did not walk their dogs each day and both ended up with their different kitchens being eaten by their different dogs.

if you can only spare half an hour then best get a toy poodle.

DDog (lab cross) gets 2x 1 hour walks a day minimum. It's a mixture on and off lead.

Only changes in a heatwave.

Strongly advise against getting a big dog if you can't walk them daily.

Look at smaller less energetic breeds (can't think of many off the top of my head but someone more knowledgeable will).

I've always had labs and I do a main walk or run very early before work , sometimes up to 6 miles and a shorter walk/ park / swim in the evening. They are calm in the house but always up for going out which is my perfect dog balance.

I'm on holiday just now and I've seen a lady with her Huskies run them round the village and hills in the evening and as they don't get let off lead this is probably necessary every day. Huskies seem to be the puppies at the school gates who doni't stay long when people realise what is involved .

Would two half hour walks be sufficient or even more than that?

I would say that's the amount for the odd day when you don't have time to walk the dog properly.

I'd suggest an hour twice a day, including stimulating things like games, sniffing, off-lead exploration.

Don't get a husky for your first dog!

My lab cross has one hour in the morning and 45 mins in the afternoon. On days I can't walk him he goes to doggy daycare. He is youngish (5) and would become naughty/destructive if he wasn't walked regularly or if he was left on his own.

And as PP have said, huskies needs are much more intense. I imagine German shepherds would be harder work than a lab too although I know they can make lovely family dogs- they are a bit bigg r/stronger though. To be honest, even labs are big and very high energy which means High needs.

Do you work from home or have plans for days you would have to be out? 4 hours I think is the max you're meant to leave a dog and that's a dog, not a puppy. I know retired greyhounds etc are meant to b less high maintenance and can snooze for hours happily by themselves but that's fairly exceptional I think.

I have a 4.5 month old golden puppy and even at that age I'm doing 2x 25/30mins with her. When she's fully grown she will need 2 hours a day and before we got her we had a lot of consideration around if we could manage that, what about the winter etc etc, but ultimately we are committed that we we will do it.

Husband said to me 'dog will need to be walked rain or shine, period or no period' 🙄

The only time we have not walked her at least once was the Tuesday of the heatwave when it was 25 degrees at 5am.

Don't get a husky or GSD if you can't commit the time, go for a smaller breed.

Agree with others that you're suggesting breeds here which really aren't suited to first time owners. Why a husky?

I don't think you can think of all large dogs in the same way - a retired greyhound will have far different needs to a husky for example. And many smaller breeds will also need a lot of exercise.

If you're worried about having the time to walk them, will you also be around during the day, or are you planning to leave the dog alone for hours to work? Do you have the time to invest in training? Dogs are hugely time consuming, and not just in terms of their daily exercise needs.

Get a nervous rescue who is too terrified to walk (eyes ddog). We go out for ten mins in the early hours when no one about . I had wanted a dog to walk for miles, but here we are !