Early morning walks

[NewMeNewUs]

Good morning
i couldn’t sleep well this morning so I decided at 5am to get up and take our 17 month old lab for a cross country walk.
currently out still walking now and it’s so lovely ! Calm, peaceful , no one else around!
I could make a habit of starting my day like this. My question is, if I did this most days at 5am waking the dog up from her sleep to do so, would she then expect is everyday? My worry is at the weekends when I wouldn’t be so keen for the early morning walk, would she wake up herself at 5am expecting a walk ?
thanks for your advice

I walk every day I work at around this time but try to sleep in on days off

Didn't take her long to figure out shoes means walk no shoes means bathroom break and back to bed

i think so, my dog is very routine orientated but i guess its the risk you take!
sounds perfect to walk at 5 am

This is what I should be doing, when I have to decamp to sofa to escape snoring but I'm lying here cross instead! DDog has gone back to bed with the snorter. Traitor

This is what I do too. The dog does still get up quite early at the weekend but more like 7. She’s grateful for the lie in. Early mornings are the best.

I do this! My dogs quickly learnt what getting up early means - one day a week I get up at 8 and the rest of the time at 5.

TBH it’s so much nicer getting up early and walking them. Nothing compares!

I early walk in summer to get away from the heat but not in winter no , getting up and out in darkness is not nice particularly if it's raining . My dogs hate rain .

It's all right at the moment as it's fairly light, but you might have to get later as the mornings get darker.

It depends on the dog.

Mine will happily sleep until 10am or will get up at six if that's we're doing, but I walk other dogs who are very routine led and who would expect you to be up and walking them at 5am in the middle of January if that's what you'd done in July.

My dog doesn’t mind how early she gets a walk, she gets restless if we haven’t left by 9am. I too love very early morning walks as day breaks, so peaceful.

That's why we never follow a routine for ours.

To add - mine didn't even get a walk at all yesterday and he didn't pester - was quite happy with some mental stimulation and lots of naps on the sofa 😂

I agree that not giving them a set routine sets them up for success - I never wanted a dog who needed x amount of walks a day at set times. We a have a beagle too, so not a lap dog, but we never gave him any kind of routine and I think it's made him much easier as an adult.

Some days he's up and walking at six, other days it's midday and like yesterday, sometimes he doesn't go out at all except in the garden.

MN is very big on walking your dog multiple times a day everyday but actually I think it's more important that you teach your dog to fit in around you and that their walks happen when you decide, not when they demand.

I have 2 border collies, laying on my legs now, one of 9, and one just one.. no routine, I did that with other dogs, now they fit in with us.. DH goes to bed at 9,so is up really early,goes to sleep on the sofa.... they know not to disturb him. We've had 3 dogs live to almost 18, so our vet of 25 years said "keep doing what you are doing". It works for us. We do have a big garden have had dog flaps 30 years. There's a 50ft section securely fenced off for them,if we want to go out.

Clever dog, but I would have to try putting on one shoe and see what happens. 🙂

Or pehaps that is a bit mean.

I have 2 Jack Russell terriers. I find if I delay their evening meal by a couple of hours and give them a bedtime biscuit, then they will sleep in till 8.30 the next morning instead of waking up at 6. Obviously mine wake up when they are hungry. 😂