I think your friend is taking advantage of a Newfie's placid temperament by not walking him and he's sadly ended up with a half life. Since he doesn't know any different, he probably doesn't feel sad, but a responsible owner should know that to be properly fulfilled (which he deserves) he needs the smells, stimulation and socialisation that he will only get from being walked. I have a huge garden/woodland for my boy to roam in but it's not the same thing at all as a daily walk. In humans, exercise is strongly linked to feeling happy and contented and I see no reason why a dog should be any different. Imagine how bored he must be, doing the same thing every day, seeing the same things. Boredom makes you lazy, I hope she's not mistaking that for fulfillment.

See I think some dogs can hate walks, My Meeka is an example, she's happy for her collar and lead to go as she gets excited but as soon as we start out the door her body language changes, she's nervous, yappy and she never really relaxes untill she's back home, she's a little better if I walk her with Aura or Bugzy but even then you can tell she's not really liking the walk and cant wait to get home.
So technically I could say well she doesn't like walks so i'll leave her at home.
But I know by doing that i'm reinforcing her fear of the outside/unknown. So I shall continue to walk her as I think dogs need to be walked, to see different things, smell new things etc. It must be a very boring life if all a dog see's is 4 walls and maybe a garden....

Walking may be overrated for dogs that otherwise get plenty of exercise. The dog may see the walk as valuable not for getting out and seeing things or the exercise, but for the time it has your attention. All the dogs I have seen that are free to run, will be right there when their owners start on a walk. Dogs place a high value on their pack and the time they spend with you. It really doesn't make much difference how they spend their time when you aren't around. what counts is how much attention you give them when you are around. I think many dogs whose owners work may get more and better time when the owners are home than ones where somebody is around, but too busy to pay much attention to the dog.

Dogs vary. When Aster was older, and her mother would get restless mid afternoon and wouldn't settle until they had their walk.

We were low on the learning curve when Nugget was a puppy. Far too many times he gave us the slip. Often when I left the garage door open when I came home. Then as I would start out the back door of the garage with him, he would bolt out the front. I would go in and get the leash. When he saw me coming with the leash, he would run up to me. He didn't want to run by himself outside. He wanted to be with somebody.

Many dogs do depend on walks for their exercise. However, just like people, they need more intensive exercise too, getting the heart rate up. A game of fetch helps too.

Mya would be quite happy if she wasn't walked. She's a nervous little poppet, and only really tolerates a walk when it's dark. Dark = less people.

I do make her go, mainly because I was hoping it would improve her nervousness. It did, a bit, but not that much, and we're four years down the line now......

Interesting responses.
I just think it's strange for you not to take your dog out. I have a big garden, big enough for Zara to have a good run in and wear herself out! But, I think of it this way: If I had to live in my house, without seeing the outside world and not interacting with other people for the rest of my life, BUT was supplied with a treadmill, would I be happy? Sure I could get plenty of exercise, but it wouldn't be the same would it? That's how I see it anyway.

I feel bad if Zara misses one of her daily walks- let alone 2 years worth. Seeing her run on the beach today, splashing in the waves with the sun on her back- that, I'm sure is what most dogs want.

I don`t think it`s so much about the walk - it`s about socialising your dog. It`s just neglect IMO.

I wonder if the owner of the Newfie ever tried her dog with swimming. This breed isnt particularly energetic and each one i've seen have been lagging so far behind but they were bred to swim. Even if he didnt want to go for a walk, I wouldnt give in to the stubborness and would make him go out as I personally dont feel it's right for a dog to never leave the garden. I just wonder if he doesnt want to walk, could he get his exercise and stimulation by swimming?

I hear this excuse from my Sister with her Bichon Frise but I find it hard to believe as when I went round with Parker my male Kerry she had a lovely time walking with him on the park. My sister says she hides when my sister takes her lead off the peg. Although perhaps she felt safer with her big cousin Parker to look after? She is quite small.

Someone at work who is disabled also never walks his dog because it is reactive to other dogs and he can't manage it. I am sorry that he is not able to physically handle the dog but even though he has a big garden I still think dogs need to go out and socialise and yes I have a dog who used to be very fear-reactive so I know what it's like to try and walk a dog thet wants to headbutt anything on 4 legs within a 50 feet radius! Cherry is super now though but if I had just left her to her own devices and not walked her and persevered with clicker training she owuld not be any better.
When we had a behaviourist trained by Jan Fennell she said not to take my 2 dogs out for a week-I felt so cruel and now I have done some more reading on Jan Fennell's theory that debunks this approach I realise I was cruel.

Great idea, but who wants to dry out a Newfie every day? xD

I once took my Lab and our friends' two Goldens for a romp at the river. Great fun. I took a big stack of towels. A half hour after we were back, I spent 5 minutes brushing my Lab. The Goldens were still wet and full of stick tights that grew on the bank. I still didn't have them all out the next day when they came for their dogs. It was years before they trusted me with a Golden again.