Do you walk your dog when it’s pouring all day?

[moodiemoo]

It’s pouring with rain so I don’t want to go out, but I’m feeling guilty. I have a doggy raincoat I can pop on him so that’s no issue, I’m just feeling bleh and the rain isn’t exactly motivating. Do you trudge out regardless?

Really? Ours prefers the back garden and will hold it in until she’s back! I’m not complaining 🤣

Interesting! I've always been confused by the fact that on nice sunny day there's tons of dogs out and one wet days hardly any. I always wondered where all the dogs went. It never crossed my mind that some dogs don't like walking in the rain, how strange! All the dogs I've had will go out in anything. I'll go out in anything as well, always feel better after a walk, can't imagine just staying in the house all day, only do that if I'm ill. Mine is a lab springer cross, pretty high energy so gets a couple of walks a day, about 1.5 to 2hrs total. That way she'll happily sleep while I'm working. If she doesnt get walked shes quite annoying! Interesting to hear what other people do though.

We only have certain times of day when things like walks can happen, due to work / school runs etc. The routine happened because we have one anyway!

Nope.

I had a behaviourist in for an issue and he said he doesn't walk his dogs daily as it sets an expectation for it and they can get frustrated if routine is so strict and it's broken.

Yes, we did, even though DDog was very much a fair weather dog. Just a quick walk round the block to do business then back to the sofa.

If you can't be arsed to walk your dog at least twice every day then remove it because the dog deserves far better treatment than you are proudly posting you give it.

Yes, mine doesn’t mind rain, wind or snow but she won’t do strong cold wind combined with rain or snow. If it’s like that she won’t walk and looks so miserable bless her so I don’t force her. If she has to miss a walk we play inside and make up for it the next day. She’s a bit older now so I’m led by her.

The only time I refuse to walk her is in extreme heat, for her own health.

We only have certain times of day when things like walks can happen, due to work / school runs etc. The routine happened because we have one anyway!

That's fair enough, as long as the dogs don't pester or whine because the routine has to change for some unavoidable reason.

Our lab loves making us play hunt the poo in nettles and undergrowth. He generally saves his poo so he can go somewhere to make it as challenging as possible for us to pick up. 🙄

We'd rarely change it, to be honest, as it doesn't suit us to vary it much.

He sleeps in at the weekend happily, which is the main thing!

Yes, if it's just light/moderate rain.

If it's pouring down and/or thundering she refuses to leave the house and I am not going to force her to do something that scares her. It's hard enough trying to cajole her into the garden to pee/poo when it's bucketing down.

🥹

They pester eventually, mostly by leaping to their feet every time one of us moves. They'll settle if they're told to, so it works well for us.

I read these dog threads through my fingers, as they give me anxiety and guilt. I have two whippets. I wfh full time. I take them for 45 minutes before work (mostly off lead so they sniff and run),and 30 minutes after work on an evening, usually a walk round the block. I’m a bit 😳 at those on here who seem to think the norm is three hours a day. Surely if you work, have children, other stuff to do, three hours is a lot of free time to find to walk the dog. I take them for longer walks at the weekend, usually about 2.5 hours a day. Also, I spend maybe 15 mins in the house with a bit of play each day, which is what I can spare. But confess when I read some of these posts, I feel totally inadequate….

I walk my dog most days but there is no change in his behaviour if he isn’t walked so no I don’t and I don’t feel guilty.

If the dog wants a walk it should get a walk

We have a big heavy coated dog that is not a high energy breed. They enjoy long walks in cool dry weather, they love cold/snow but struggle in summer heat and largely hate rain. If it's showery we'll wait for a dry spell and get out but when it's pouring, no, we won't go for a walk because that is their choice. They hate having wet feet and will always walk around puddles or mud not through it.

The dogs themselves will always have the final say about whether they want a proper walk when it rains. Mostly they will opt to stay in. No, it isn't cruel. They're all different and we listen to what they tell us. They are not deprived of a walk if they want to go but neither are they forced to go out if they don't want to.

One of our boys would flat out refuse to ever leave the house on a rainy day until he was desperate to wee/poo - then he'd rush out, tiptoe across the garden, relieve himself and leg it back in. The other four would sometimes opt to go for a short walk on a wet day but then just grind to a halt refusing to move again until we turned for home. You cannot force a giant breed dog to walk in the pouring rain if it doesn't want to, it just makes them utterly miserable. They take forever to dry and only one of ours was ever willing to wear a coat on a walk.

Yes. And that also means my 3yo and 1yo go out every day regardless too. They don't always want to, and neither do I, but that's what I signed up for when I got her.

Please don’t. You know your dogs, you know what they need. As long as they are happy and healthy (so no destructive behaviours) sounds like you are doing well. Remember sniffing and mental agility is just as important as walks so these sort of activities like play are just as good, as is interaction with you, strokes and cuddles etc, it all counts.

If you feel really bad maybe buy a game for them they can play by themselves where they have to figure a puzzle for a treat, or a kong filled with treats or peanut butter are good fun for them.

I have had 3 dogs all of the same high energy breed and all have been different in terms of their needs and exercise. I have had dogs all my life and don’t proscribe to what others say, I know my dogs and know what they need. All have had happy healthy long lives. Unless you have a husky I think you sound like you’re doing fine! 🐾

If I'm leaving him, we go out rain or shine.
If I'm in all day I have been known to hide under a blanket!

I think the guilt of a missed walk is all mine. He's quite happy snuggled up in bed, cosy and dry!

You have absolutely no reason to feel guilty.

I find the Doghouse can be very rigid when it comes to dog ownership - and anyone who doesn't conform is seen as cruel or lazy.

As long as your dogs are happy, healthy and adequately exercised over the course of the week, you have nothing to worry about! Dogs don't come with manuals that say they must get a set amount of exercise at set times everyday - it's all something that humans have thought up to suit them.

I'm a member of a lot of international dog walking and breed groups, and I'd say the UK is pretty unique in its' belief that dogs need 3 walks a day, everyday, no matter what.

I do walk mine in the rain as he couldn’t care less about it! if it’s really pouring I might do a shorter walk than usual though.

Like a previous poster I have a young, fit Springer who could go all day if given the opportunity but I do give him the odd rest day - he adores his walks but is more than happy to occasionally potter at home and snooze the day away. It actually really helps him to decompress sometimes if we’ve had a busy period as he can get quite highly strung.

This is my first time posting here and it has been like baptism by fire 😆

Used to. But he's 13 now and doesn't appreciate it. He's more than happy going into the garden.

Ah, I hope it hasn't put you off.

I read a lot of threads on here where posters don't come back and I can totally see why sometimes!