I am a bad person...

[heathea]

I sort of stopped walking my dogs over the nasty winter weather here in Chicago-land. The weather is getting better and I can't seem to get back into a routine. I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem. I am lucky in that I have a fenced in yard and a wonderful lady who comes every wednesday to clean my yard (best $39 per month ever spent). There was one lady on doggie door that used to make me feel horrible as she would jog with her dog. I felt great for her, just bad for my poor dogs. Am I alone?

[Jody Hayes]

I was feeling terrible too! Until now...it is so hard to get back into that grove again. First I thought early in the morning would work great, then I thought right after work, then after supper. I just have to kick myself in the but and do it! Thank goodness for big backyards:)

[Jesse Cruz]

not alone! i wake up at 5am every morning to go to work with a 2 hr commute, i get home at almost 6pm. so i'm exhausted and i have to take care of my child as well as my babies. i don't always have the energy to go for a long walk with my furbabies. so i'll do a walk around the neighborhood (15 mins) and by the time i get back home they are a little tired. remember they are shih tzu's and they have little short legs so they don't need to much to get them tired. also they have free run of the house once i'm home and they take full advantage of that.

don't feel bad, as long as they get lots of TLC i'm sure they're ok.

[Jill Ramsey]

It was really hard for me to walk in the winter, too. Luckily, I have a husband who takes Finn for a 20 minute walk at 4:30 in the morning, and plays fetch for another 5-10 minutes before he leaves for work at 5. I come home first,and will play with Finn, or just let him run around his yard for about 1/2 hr. I'm just now starting to get back into walking, (I have fibromyalgia, and some days it hurts to just get out of bed!) so, if the weather would stay nice, would start walking again. But, since We're getting the new puppy, will probably just play in the yard for a while.

[heathea]

thats right! I forgot about your new puppy. I must say, my dogs play together really well. When I got Teak he learned how to play from a dog named Little Girl when I lived with her owner, then we got Life as a puppy and Teak taught her to play. They spend hours in the backyard running around and even playing tug. Hopefully, you will have the same experience, I am so excited for you.

You want to know how bad i am? I get up at 6AM and sit on the couch and watch Buffy the vampire slayer rather than walk my poor babies. Although, they are sacked out on the couch too. Then I leave for work at about 8. But, I will start walking them very soon, I promise! :)

[Cecile Vargo]

I guess I'm an even "badder" doggie Mom. I don't walk my dogs, I let them exercise each other in the backyard. Since there are three of them, they keep each other quite busy out there. In the spring when the weather is not too hot or too cold, I will occassionally take them each on individual walks in the neighborhood. When 13 year old Jake gets too fat from his thyroid condition I definitely walk him. And the last summer and fall we had our dog Jessie I had to take her on walks to keep her mobile. But so far as regular day to day walks, I don't do it. But I can assure you my dogs definitely get plenty of exercise amongst themselves. Particularly with big pup Maggie to keep them motivated.

[Jesse Cruz]

i think if you have a fenced backyard they don't really need the walk for exercise because you provide them a backyard for play. so i think you guys are fine.

[Jill Ramsey]

i think if you have a fenced backyard they don't really need the walk for exercise because you provide them a backyard for play. so i think you guys are fine.
That would be great, but if no one is outside, Finn just lays and watches the back door. Waiting for someone to come out. Sometimes he doesn't even potty until I come out. :shock:

[heathea]

I do let mine play with each other in the backyard and they do a great job of tiring each other out, but I do think walking your dogs provides a mental stimulation for the dogs that wears them out on a whole other level. Just my opinion, which is funny, cause I am the lazy slacker who isn't walking my dogs. :p

[Krysta Smith]

Don't feel bad!! I think I've only taken Lola on about half a dozen walks since I got her in December and I am at home most of the time. :shock: The weather is so unpredictable and if it's nice one day I'll say I'm going to take Lola to the park the next day, but then it snows. So I pretty much just take Lola out in the backyard a couple times a day. It doesn't seem to matter to her whether we go in the backyard or to the park, she still has the same amount of energy. As it gets nicer I will be taking her for walks more often though.

[Melanie Xarti]

Peanut would be miserable if she didn't get a walk every day... especially in the snow and cold. Waldo decides on a daily basis how he feels about a walk. Sometimes he stays behind, sometimes he comes along on his own, and sometimes he lets us do the work for him (sled).
Luckily, I like the snow and cold almost as much as my Peanut. I just bundle up and bear it. I just like to be outdoors no matter what. And the dogs appreciate that.
Peanut's still young, so she needs to expend more energy than hanging out in the backyard allows. And having her keeps me active, too. Because she's still young (about 16 months) I sometimes take her on my shorter, slower jogging days... it's more of a slow trot for her than a jog anyway. :p I feel way too guilty if I don't take them (or at least her) for a nice walk every day. Even if that means bringing along a lantern at 9pm after a long day of school and work.
We live in such a gorgeous area, I'd feel horrible if I only let them explore the backyard. Guilt works wonders! :D

"C'mon, Mom... slowpoke...."
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/mnixon/DSCF1965.jpg

[Chris Smith]

WOW!!! I'm feeling pretty good right now...or Nalu is a pretty lucky little dog! Since I have had him (4 months), I have never skipped a day of exercising him and playing with him.

Here's what I do: I get up at 4:30 - 5am to get ready for work and take him on his morning walk. That walk is usually about 30 min and can be up to 45 min. Also includes a couple of hills and it is a different route each day. Sometimes we will also play a little fetch (5-10 min) in the yard when the weather has been good enough. And yes, I have walked him numerous times in the rain (but no snow here and nothing below 38 degrees so that helps).

When I'm at work, Nalu is outside in the yard - about 5,000 sq ft of yard with decks, trees, brick walkways, squirrels, birds, patio, a long dog run area and his own inside room that has his bed, crate (which he doesn't use), kongs, toys, water.

When I come home which is a max. of 9 hours later (some days only 7 hours), I take him up to the dog park for at least 1- 1 1/2 hours for playing with dogs and playing fetch with the "Chuck it". On days when I can't take him to the dog park or if I will be gone for up to 10 hours, I have someone come mid-day and stay for about 30-40 min. to play fetch or tug of war in the yard with him. Some days he gets all of these things in one day.

Every single weekend (both Sat and Sun) I take him hiking for 1-3 hours on trails, or to dog parks with large trails, open space, swimming areas and lots of dogs, or to the beach and ocean.

Now that the weather is getting better, I will start taking him mountain bike riding and swimming on the weekends.

And inside the house before bed time, we play ball (he runs from one end of the house to the other) or tug of war on and off for 1-2 hours.

Part of me likes to do all of this since I am very active anyway (hence, why I got the type of dog that I have) but I have also learned that Nalu has TONS of energy, hardly sleeps except at night, and if he is not tired out by lots of physical exercise, he is just like a 4 yr. old human boy - a little terror!!! (old enough and strong enough to get into trouble but not old enough to control himself or be still). (Nalu is almost 8 months old so he still has lots of puppy energy).

And I have been wondering these past few months if I give my boy enough attention, exercise and entertainment...mayb e I do??

p.s. sorry, I am not trying to make anyone feel bad or guilty. Dog ownership is new to me so it is still fun and I basically have the time for it. It also works as a way for me to bond with my dog and seems to make him happy. And different dogs and breeds have very different needs.

[heathea]

Well, those last 2 posts have made me feel like crap. Anyone else? I love cold weather and snow as well, especially when I can spend time in it, but when it is something you are trying to do before putting on dreaded office clothes and makeup it kind of sucks. But, spring is here...
guilt sucks, I much prefer understanding...

:P
Heather

[Amy Siggers]

I am just like you.. I get up at 5:15 in the mornings and take her out to potty and then spend the rest of the time until I have to leave at 7:15 getting myself and my 2 boys ready to get out the door! I come home at 11:30 for lunch and let her out of her crate but I use that time to clean house while I am eating in between.. I take her out while I am home for lunch to potty and if its pretty we'll stay out for about 10 minutes but we dont go for a walk- she just walks around the yard slowly on her leash sniffinf every piece of grass and trying to eat the leaves and spring weed flowers which I have to dig out of her mouth with a finger sweep! ha! She goes back into her crate right before 1PM when I have to go back wo work and then she gets out again at 5PM for the rest of the night.. I take her out as soon as I get home again but we dont walk.. The only exercise she gets in the 30 minutes every night that my husband & 2 boys spend making her chase her toys! Her little tongue ishanging out so far by the time she is finished! haha.. As it gets warmer and the days stay lighter longer we will start walking but right now I am in the same boat you guys are :cool:

[Luciann]

Heather

you are not alone. i use to walk 2 miles a day with my dog then i got the puppy and started packing and house hunting and we stopped walking. then i moved and got the puppy back and it was just chaos, then i started walking them only a half mile ( about 3 blocks). BUT, when i decided that i had to start losing weight again we started the 2 miles a day unless it is raining....so take a deep breath and work it in (not to make you feel guilty). Frodo would walk for ever if he could and Tika is a couch potato but we still walk, more for me than for them.

[Cecile Vargo]

I think it's a matter of common sense, if your dog isn't getting any exercise and is getting fat and lazy, make sure they get some. I know mine do fine amongst themselves in the backyard, so don't worry about it too much. When they have health problems that require extra attention I definitely walk them, or if they need a little one on one time just me and one dog, as opposed to me and all three of them, then I take them out individually. Right now, they are all fine in the backyard with big pup Maggie giving them a run. My dog yard also has plenty of things to stimulate them - old tires, old patio table and chairs, and old tree stumps to jump on or under... stuff like that. It's not just a plain back yard, it's a doggie haven. Maggie chases the older dogs around or they chase her and play on these things and have a ball.

Indoors at night we rough house with the dogs, too - retrieving favorite squeaky toys, tug-a-war, etc. They get exercise, mental stimulation and Mommy & Daddy time, are content and healthy.

[Andre Mendizabal]

I have to admit I'm lazy, and since winter the walks got shorter and shorter!!!! anyway, having a fenced yard helps A LOT, I have one and that's how I can provide my dogs (specially the beagle) their exercise, walks have gone from the everyday 1 hr walk, to every other day 20 min. walk :???: And starting the old routine now seems just too much!!!! anyway, you are really not alone and don't feel guilty about it... remember that just beign there is enough for your dog... and well, playing catch or just getting out in the backyard and tossing some toys at him is just as great!!!! :D
I even play inside the house and toss toys from my bed while watching tv... and Nala gets just thrilled to play that game!!!! ;)

[Jesse Cruz]

well you guys will get a kick out of this:
last night i took my babies out for their walk around the block right after they had dinner and did their business, around 8pm. well we're walking and as i get half way back to my house i decided to see if they can be jogging dogs, since they are shih tzu's i didn't think they could be. so i start jogging back home to see how they would do and they were sooo cute. they were running so happily, with the wind blowing in their faces. mind you here i am dressed in my work clothes still (skirt and blouse) and running in clogs. LOLOLOL i was praying no one was outside or looking out the window because they probably would of thought i was a nut. just thought it was funny seeing a woman jogging with two shih tzu's, dressed in a skirt and clogs...
:rolling:

[heathea]

good story, I have seen shih tzus run, its funny. I have also run in work cloths, which is also very funny.
Walking will happen, it just takes me some time to get into a routine, but thanks for the support.
Thanks!
Heather

[Rebekah Hartman]

I live in Florida, so it's almost getting to the season where it's unhealthy to be outside for too long. I didn't do the best job in the "winter", either. I'm glad to hear that others struggle with daily exercise provision.

My pup still hasn't learned "heel" or loose-leash walking, so I end up trying to work on training and then the walks can become a little frustrating. He's 5 months old, so everything is super exciting and distracting (including grass).

My favorite way for Samson to get exercise is to take him to my neighbor's (who has a hyper 2-year-old Weimaraner) and let them wear each other out. Good socialization, too. I don't do that too often, though - come to think of it, maybe I'll give her a call....

[Clair Taberner]

guess i'm lucky being in the uk. i'm in the south so the weather generally is bearable in winter so they get out at least an hour, more if i have time. i think i'd be like most of u guys though in the extreme weathers. ie blowing a hoolie/snowing and peeing it down....dogs can play fetch with me standing in the back porch to throw!:)

[Hee Yung Lee]

For those of you with smaller breeds or with a fenced in yard to play in are so lucky. I don't have either, so I had to bear with the bitter winter and take Bogart out. I remember this past winter seeing only a handful of people at the dog park and we were all bundled up in boots, long johns, hats, scarves, mittens, sometimes face masks, and snowsuits. Some of us would joke about how far we go for our dogs. :rolleyes:

I do play with him indoors a lot too, but it's really not enough for him. He needs to be able to run and burn off that energy.

[Chris Smith]

I guess I'm one of the luckiest since not only do I have a very large fenced in yard that is like a doggy playground (lots of interesting stuff for him) but living in CA, I have basically good weather year round so never have to deal with snow or bitter cold. And I live right by acres and acres of regional parks with hiking trails and lakes and of course, the ocean.

So all of that makes my "job" of getting Nalu exercise probably the easiest of everyone. I'm sure I would be less inclined if I had to deal with all of the elements that many of you have in your areas. And I would also probably slack off some if he wasn't such a SUPER ACTIVE, HIGH ENERGY puppy that needs to be tired out to avoid house destruction!!

[Luciann]

Well i use to live in an apartment and I got tired of walking but i did it for my little frodo. now i have a back yard and they get the excercise they need but we still walk due to i need it more than they do.

If you dogs seem content not going out every day then why feel guilty about it? You are not a bad parent if you do not take them for walks every day especially when it is freezing and snowy. I live in Texas and we get cold weather but rarely snow or ice. Though Frodo wants his sweater on and us to walk after dark. Tika on the other hand plays hard and will walk the two miles but she would rather be a couch potato instead.....

So do for you and your furbabies and not worry....

[Sheryl]

I think that the fact that we are on this site shows that we all really care for our pets. There are times in everyone's life when circumstances don't allow daily exercise. I agree that if your dog is content and healthy and loved, then he or she may not need daily exercise.

That said, my big guy will tear up my house if he doesn't get enough exercise, so I don't really have much of a choice. I am lucky that I live in walking distance to work, and can come home and take him for a ten or fifteen minute walk at lund and still have time to eat. Then after work we go for 30 to 45 minutes of walking. I just can't get up in time for a morning walk, but I was told that five minutes of clicker training in the morning will provide mental stimulation for him. I usually take one day a week off.

I gotta say one thing about weather. I live up North, and we have some BAD weather during the winters!!! It can easily be -30 degrees Celcius (I don't know what that is in Farenheit!), and then windchill on top of that. If it is below -30 we don't walk (he gets cold too), and if it is between -20 and -30 we only go for 15 minutes. Anyone think I'm nuts to live here?! Me too some days! We still have lots of snow left, and the lake is still frozen. I can't wait til spring!!