On average, how often do you walk your dog each day?

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Daniel_Jack

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I sometimes feel like now days my dog gets a bit of a crap deal - me and my husband work full time, we have a young child so juggling everything and fitting in the dog is a challenge.

3 to 4 days a week we have a dog walker so on these days, dog gets a 20 to 30 minute walk in the morning - usually 20 minute as she generally just wants to do her business then get back to have her breakfast then go back to bed. Dog walker comes about 11:30 and takes her out for an hours off lead run with the pack down by the beach. Then at around 5/5:30pm we get home and walk her for another 30 to 40 minutes generally on lead. Sometimes, if time allows, I'll walk her again around 9pm just for 10 minutes but some nights she just gets let out in the garden to pee.

The other days I'm at home and will walk her a couple of times but usually have my 3 year old so we can't go as far and might just go to the park with a ball and weekends she usually gets a couple of 30/45 minute walks then a couple of shorter ones.

She's not destructive at home, tends to sleep most days (part greyhound) but I do worry that it's not enough especially as she did get walked a bit more before we started a family.


Keen to understand what others manage on average to see how it compares!
 
She doesn't. But then she's 13 with a leg issue and terminal cancer..

But your dog seems to get quite enough. Don't worry :)
 
Aw equi sorry to hear that :( We lost my old dog when he was 13 to side affects from his arthritis medicine but up until the day before he passed he still insisted on being walked very 2 hours pretty much on the dot!!
 
Minimum twice a day every day. 30 mins in the morning, a minimum of an hour in an evening, probably closer to an hour and a half.
On weekends he either gets a short walk in the morning and a monster walk in the afternoon (2.5hrs+) or 3 walks of around an hour each.
All walks are mainly off lead baring a few hundred meters where we go along an busy road.

My dog is a very beautifully behaved Beagle.
Beagles have a bad rep for disobedience and destruction but I find a lot of that is down to the fact they don't get anywhere near enough exercise or stimulation

ETA we both work full time
 
2 * 'proper' walks (1 hr each or 1.5hrs + 0.5 hrs) and 1 or 2 'quick wee' ones. Sometimes a bit less if weather awful/very busy and sometimes more if it is e.g. the weekend. But our usual routine is the two walks + wees.

Thoroughly recommend pushing child in buggy fast to further away park and then playing there/popping back in buggy for way home on occasion. Sell it to the child with the exciting alternative play equipment/conkers/whatever.
 
That sounds absolutely fine.

My dog isn't in work at the moment so is getting one hour/ninety minutes a day, mostly offlead with some brisk roadwork in one go. He's very energetic and had five years of full throttle training so I'm giving him a bit of a rest now and he seems to be coping fine.
He had been getting roadwork, swimming, biking on top of tracking, obedience and protection training a few times a week.
Only downside is that I am feeling decidedly porky now :o

My (single, full time employed) mum had two GSDs and me and we all had to fit in a Fiat Uno when I was growing up - and I promise their heads won't fall off if you don't take them out for three hours a day, it sounds like you are doing a great job.
 
I'm out the house 7.30am-8pm due to work at the moment sadly. He gets 20min of 'work' while I do the chickens in the morning, an occasional on lead walk with a walker during the day (about 3 times a week) and another 'work' stint in the evening, 1 evening he has an hour agility lesson and at the weekend we go out for a few hours if he's not playing camper dog. During the day in the week he has free access to the kitchen and a dog yard, 4 people who live at home popping in and out and 2 other dogs with him. Walking around the roads is a painful ritual, 15min of retrieve or hunting practice (with several waits while I do the birds) tires him more than a 5k run. Between the birds and 2 ponies in work I just don't have time for more!
 
I used to have a very active collie. He got 30-40 minutes in the morning, a lunchtime walk of at least 1 hour (2-3 hours on a weekend, sometimes longer if we took him on holiday) and 30 minutes round the block at night (or a quick run about in the fields of light enough). Plus he also had near enough constant access to the garden.

If your dog is happy with that and it isn't affecting her health or. Becoming overweight then I am sure it is fine. Mine would have been bothering me all day if he got any less than he did!
 
Well having two young boys they play a lot too- so they get 30 mins in the garden first thing, then a 30-45min walk mostly off lead, a couple of 10 min on lead walks during the working day plus a 30 min on lead walk at lunchtime with a 30-45 min walk on way home. Weekends tends to be more garden time and one long, off lead walk. they also get classes weds evening when in session and we go running once or twice a week- either loose or on a belt.
 
Jack hasn't been on a walk in weeks besides in his trailer, Fizz goes out at least once, normally twice. My mum takes her for an hour on lead walk 3 times a week and she gets 10 mins of fetch the other two days. 4 evenings a week she gets about an 3/4 hr mostly off lead and one night is normally flyball training. At the weekend she gets one longer off lead walk and if she's looking a smaller one (she doesn't often look) or she's at a flyball comp so no walk but lots of running.
 
45 mins walk in the morning but they swim parallel to the beach shore (lake) after jumping off the dock for about 1-2km depending on the day.

Evening, 20 mins free running in the meadow plus anything from 15 mins training to an hour or two out working. Keeping them occupied is more important than running about (for mine)

Your current regime sounds fine and as the child gets older it will get easier, don't beat yourself up
 
I have two dogs, one is a year old, one is nearly 13 and beginning to feel her age. I take both out for 30 minutes in the morning, and then usually take the younger one out for a longer walk for about an hour later in the day. They seem happy with this amount of exercise and are both a good weight. They do have free access to the garden most of the day when the weather is clement. One is a whippet and one is a lurcher type, and sighthounds generally are less demanding exercise wise than your stereotypical spaniel or collie.
 
My collie comes with me to feed/sort horses in the morning - 30-60mins. If I ride in the field he's out with me for that too. If I go for a hack he sometimes comes along (depends on when/where/who with as need a ground person currently) Then comes in the evening to feed/sort horses 30-60mins again. He's pretty much not left on his own in the house so played with or training if he gets an energy boost through the day that needs channelled but usually the morning/evening runs suit him well. Main thing is doing some training whilst out to work is brain. Coming along when I'm riding is just extra exercise - he doesn't go crazy without it but enjoys it all the same too.
 
Mrs Spaniel normally has the following routine.
Weekday mornings we do a 20-30 minute walk (depending on how soon I can drag myself out of bed) off lead in the local park.
Mondays - Wednesdays and Thursdays we have an hour after work at 5 in the local field with other dog walkers, normally one brings a ball for her to play with
Tuesdays and Fridays we go up to the yard after work and she potters about there or occasionally comes with me if I go for a hack - we're still working on her commands when I'm on the horse so its only a 10-12 minute walk if she does come although we go around a a few times in trot to really get her working hard!
We have a final 10 minute lead potter around 8.30-9pm
Saturdays and Sundays depends on if we have a flyball competition. I dont walk her the day before a comp and we do tricks in the house instead. If I do have a Saturday off from comps we tend to go out to the country parks and have a minimum of an hour walk there, normally its two hours to do the full long routes. We also go to the field for an hour in the evening as well.
Sundays we have a 30 minute walk before flyball training, an hour doing that and then a couple of hours up at the yard and if she fancies it another hour in the evening.

Currently I'm crippled so we're both getting fat and lazy on the sofa - I drive us to the field in the morning and use a ball flinger for 15-20 minutes until my leg hurts too much and then we go home and watch daytime telly and then I struggle out in the evening but again I can only manage about 30 minutes walking about before it hurts too much
 
My two whippets (6 and 4) come a 5 mile walk with me every weekday Morning. Dog walker in the middle of the day (though just now she is only letting them out to wee and spends a bit time with them due to Cash's hayfever restricting his middle of day walks) then about twenty minutes in the evening. 2 nights a week I run with them. Our walks include fields, woods, paths, playing with the ball, some recall training etc etc. Weekends I usually get pup at the same time (5-5.30) but just go our round the farm steading to let them wee then we go back to bed so I can have a little lie in. They are quite biddable little thins - happy to walk for miles equally happy to sleep. I think your dog sounds perfectly happy :-)
 
Now mine are getting older and crustier we've gone from anything up to 3 hours a day down to a 20 minute walk in the morning and an hour in the evening. Some walks get replaced with mooching round the paddock while I do the horses. Once a week they each have an agility training session lasting about 1hr 15, plus competitions probably twice a month on average.

I am feeling a little bereft at the paring back of the daily walks (and also quite porky!)
 
Sounds like your dog is getting enough exercise, OP!

The amount of exercise depends on the individual dog - are they happy, a good weight, settled in their routine? Then they're getting enough. Are they destructive, putting on weight, or exhibiting other signs of stress? Then they might need more.

I don't hold with "Dogs need this much exercise at all costs, otherwise you are an awful owner" types.
 
Very rarely. One girl has laryngeal paralysis and so makes walking almost impossible. Last time I took her out thought I would have to carry her back, impossible with a 30 KG lab. She is steadily getting worse with her back end. Luckily we have a big garden so she and her daughter have ample opportunity to run around and play not to mention picking apples and pears to eat. I do take her daughter out maybe three times a week to give her plenty of sniffs and a change of routine, she is pushing 10 yrs old and seems quite happy.
 
Twice a day, everyday. Older dog (Great Dane x Husky) is super fit and has a 30 minute run at the shore off lead in the morning and then another run in the evening for about an hour- either back at the shore or one of the local parks.

Puppy is only 15 weeks old so currently having a 15- 20 minute pootle around the block in the morning and then accompanies older dog on big walk later (but is often carried for some of it if she's too tired).
 
Spaniels here. My two get at least an hour one end of the day with lots of running through woods or fields, and at least half an hour belting about the fields plus pootling about at the yard with me. At weekends we try to take them out with the bikes for a couple of hours too. Occasionally they get short changed for a day or two but they cope as long as there's a good game of fetch or some 'find the...?' in the house.
 
Thanks for all the replies - I feel better now that most of you have similar routines!

She's a lazy lurcher so mental stimulation isn't really on her agenda - she just wanted to curl up under the duvet!
 
Sounds fine to me, my daughter is nearly 4 so is able (if in the mood/bribable!) To manage an ok walk. Some days my dog gets less than yours, but I try to do a few good off lead walks every week. Otherwise he has me around a lot (mat leave again) and plays in the garden a lot
 
Working cocker - 45 mins to an hour in the morning, same again evenings - I'm looking after a horse at the moment so he comes to yard, I keep his brain active with some hunting and retrieving on his walks, I have got back into walking myself so weekends he comes on my hill walking ..anything upto 3 hours at a time!!

JRT - almost 16 and going senile, gets very stressed on walks and barks and barks and barks....then a coughing fit....he doesn't go out but has the run of the house and garden!

The WCS has a high demand for excercise, but if the weather is totally vile I can do some scent work in the house and this keeps in stimulated - I have been complimented on how sane and well behaved he is!

My friend has a greyhound - it's more than happy with a 20 - 30 min walk am and pm and then spends the rest of the time snug and happy on her bed! She has to be dragged out if raining!!

Don't worry too much sounds ample to me, and as your little one gets older you can include longer walks and days in the park with child and dog!!
 
ive got an 11 yr old collie cross and 6 month old terrier cross. they get an hour mostly off lead in the morning and 30mins mostly off lead in the evening. they also play in the garden quite a bit ....your exercise regime sounds fine especially for a long dog....
 
I was going to ask what breed or type of dog you own, as it makes a huge difference. It sounds like your dog copes fine with the amount of exercise he/she gets.

I have high energy working border collies and German shepherds. The collies are all working dogs but at varying stages - ie in training, full trained and retired - so we tailor their exercise to suit the dog. They all get exercise/play 2-3 times a day, and those who are capable also work every day, the younger dogs get training 4-5 times a week as well as bits of work.

I have a 9 year old GSD with health issues who gets three walks a day of around 40-60 minutes depending on his mobility and my 6 year old GSD comes everywhere with me while I do jobs around the farm, and also gets a couple of good walks a day of around 90 mins-2 hours each.

I do appreciate that I work from home on the farm so have the time and space to give my dogs a lot of exercise and attention that just wasn't physically possible when I worked full time before I married.
 
Mine go out 3 x day.
2 x 20 mins and one proper walk of 45-1hr15 mins.
I've got a fit/active 12yo lab, and a Manchester terrier who is on the lazy side!
 
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