I think a lot depends on the dog and what they're used to.
My two get 30 mins or so off lead before breakfast, and another hour minimum later in the day, often with other dogs. Then some days we go for longer walks depending on time weather etc. I also try to make sure we do a bit of separate lead walking/training as well. Yet Chip must go miles further than Dale. Chip wants to charge around chasing balls, while Dale likes to sniff and enjoys search games.
On days when something happens to reduce their exercise they settle quite happily around the house.

I love walking the dogs when it's raining, but I have the luxury of being able to walk my lot during the day for as long as I like. If anything our walks tend to be longer once the summer is over. We walk in all weathers, rain, sleet, snow the lot. The dogs don't even seem to notice tbh. For me the quality of the walk is more important than the quantity though, so I would rather walk them in the woods for less time if necessary than do a walk around the pavements. I will also skip a day if for some reason I can't walk during the day, they have the garden and they never seem bothered about it. I don't feel guilty about it, they get more than enough exercise over the course of an average week to survive a day without.

That sounds like our routine too I love walking in the autumn and winter far more than in the summer - although I do love the long, light nights of summer.

Here we are again. I have just spoken to my neighbour.

He has a Border Collie called Benjie who is over 15 years old. A lovely dog and it has not had many walks in all it`s long life. A house and garden dog, just like millions of others.

Some of you may say that his quality of life has suffered - utter rubbish ! Quality of life is what is possible, not some formatted itinerary that idealistic theoretical mentors of animal welfare think up.

It is the same with us - we have to live life according to what is possible whilst always trying to strive towards perfection, which is never possible in this world. We simply have to do the best we can.

Long live Benjie and all dogs like him.

John Bull

Well, I wouldn't say that life behind four walls (and four fence panels if you include the garden) is particularly interesting. I can't imagine how boring and unstimulating that would be for 99% of dogs.

i totally agree with that. jake would never cope living like that, maybe for a day but any longer and he would be going crazy!

Mine get a 30 min walk very early, offlead, they can play if they want but we don't meet enough people for them to do that on this walk. Then at 11.30/12 they get to go somewhere else for about 50 mins, where we amble about in the woods and fields, meeting up with lots and lots of other dogs/kids, some they play with some they ignore. I change the walks when I feel like it coz I'm lucky enough to have so many different walks, but we NEVER do a pavement trunch around the streets, purely because I don't have to, if I've got great big open fields full of footpaths and bridleways, why not use them I say!

If it's pouring with rain, we just go up on our village green for a run around and a quick circuit of the green, nothing more, coz I don't have to get wet and I don't want Georgie soaked to the skin with his great, big thick coat, he smells! Lol!

We have a big garden, but if I can get out twice a day I like to do that, but if not, then we don't, simple as that! I have never been one to walk the socks off my big dogs either, none of my shepherds has ever had a walk that lasted longer than one hour(give or take a few mins) at a time, and none of them ever suffered with arthritis or hip problems, most of them reaching a ripe old age of 15 and 16 too, except one had cancer at 11, but she could still use her legs and run, same as George can at 11 and he's a huuuge dog!

Same...I very rarely walk for longer than an hour at a time. The last long-ish walk I did all in one for 2 hours was about 3 years ago!! doing longer walks just doesn't interest me...I'm done after an hour. A couple of 45-60 minutes are plenty enough for me and my woofs in a day.

Your opinion , NOT mine matey.

People and animals adjust to their lifestyles. If you are free and can romp all over the Savanna, then bully for you, but if you are a zoo animal, battery hen or a pet then that life is all you know and what you never had you never miss.

That is life chum. And millions of our pets have it and love it.
As I have said before, only the idiot brained consider the ideal in life, the more educated and intelligent acknowledge the practical constraints.

Alice in Wonderland ? Be my guest and keep reading the comics or looking at old Walt Disney films, but it will not make any difference to the loving but restricted life that millions of our pets simply have to live.

Don`t focus on what is ideal, that is incredibly stupid, focus on what is lovingly given and practical for the vast majorty of pet owners.

I am fed up with hearing the nonsensical prattlings of idealists. I live in the real world and have to make concessions like millions more. I myself and my family do not have an ideal life, so what on Earth is the brainless stupidiy of considering it for animals ? We give what we can.

John Bull

Mine (GSD-Xunknown, large!) gets 60 to 90mins twice a day..... about 6:30am every morning and then an afternoon walk about 3pm.

I notice that if she doesn't get the afternoon walk she can be a bit hyper or destructive overnight.

All of the walks are along the canal path; morning walk is usually 90% off lead due to no other people being about...... in the afternoon how much running/sniffing/chasing(rats, birds,etc!) she gets to do depends how busy it is; this time of year is great because there are no 'fair weather' dog walkers about, only people trying to get from A to B and other serious dog owners!

Once in a while I get up very early on a weekend and take her for a really long walk along the canal, right out of the city, which can last up to 4hrs.


I think basically the dog gets used to what you give it...... walking for 2+hrs a day is great for both dog and owner, but if you can't do it one day or have to miss a few days because you are ill it can be really hard on the dog not going out as much as normal.