I agree Random - if it was bucketing down and I could take them out later then I would wait. But to never walk a dog in the rain because the dog doesn't like it seems silly to me

I also agree about the dogs not dictating when they get walked. If my dogs are pestering me to go out I don't take them right then. I wait until they are calm and collected before we go out

I just wait til it stops or slows down and then go, makes no diff to me, i'm not going to take them out if they aren't going to enjoy it. I'm talking full on downpour here not drizzle

- if it was bucketing down and I could take them out later then I would wait.

If you could get my Florriedog to walk in the rain I would pay you hansomly, as i've been trying for nearly four years and obviously doing something wrong.
You have to DRAG her on the lead and as soon as you let her off she heads straight back up the track (we always go the same route from home to the fields) and runs home, taking risks of roads etc in her stride.
So no its not ridiculous in my eyes, a dog with a genuine dislike/fear of something shouldn't be FORCED to do it in my opinion

If you could get my Florriedog to walk in the rain I would pay you hansomly, as i've been trying for nearly four years and obviously doing something wrong.
You have to DRAG her on the lead and as soon as you let her off she heads straight back up the track (we always go the same route from home to the fields) and runs home, taking risks of roads etc in her stride.
So no its not ridiculous in my eyes, a dog with a genuine dislike/fear of something shouldn't be FORCED to do it in my opinion
My ESS didnt like showing, i didn't force him in the ring. And he grew to be sound phobic, destroying all his gundog training-and i didn't force him to work. So i'm not going to force a wee terrier whos scared of/dislikes going out in the rain to do so either

You have to DRAG her on the lead and as soon as you let her off she heads straight back up the track (we always go the same route from home to the fields) and runs home, taking risks of roads etc in her stride.
So no its not ridiculous in my eyes, a dog with a genuine dislike/fear of something shouldn't be FORCED to do it in my opinion

You aren't the only person with strong feelings about what's responsible and what isn't. No matter what you do someone somewhere will think you aren't a fit person to own a dog.

Hades, do you worry that some people might think that as your only exercise is walking you aren't really fit enough to give your dog a full and active life? I'm sure you don't. And nor should you. You know your dog and you know whether or not it's happy, fit and healthy enough.

GSD-Sue knows her own dog better than anyone and I'm sure if she ever sees signs that it's not thriving she'll find a way to rectify the problem. Until that happens she should just enjoy her dog and concentrate on getting well.

No matter what we do others will critisise. We have a choice - we either take to heart peoples critisisms and give up our dogs or we do as you just did and say "I don't think that's valid" and carry on doing what you believe to be best (or even good enough in hard times) for your dog.

For what it's worth, I know a lady that breeds Beagles (Beagles are EXTREMELY active dogs - mine goes nuts if she doesn't get running for hours in the park with other dogs every day). This lady has a 3/4 acre garden and doesn't actually walk the dogs that often. They are without a doubt contented, happy and healthy dogs. She just lost two little brothers that she bred herself - they were aged 17. She has never had a dog that's lived for less than 15 years. When I see all the different ways in which people manage to raise happy, healthy dogs it makes me realise that it's a little foolish to form rigid ideas about what's best for a dog.