Spot - it seems you are tring to start an argument...

I was SIMPLY saying that if you are elderly and you KNOW you will NEVER be able to walk a dog would you go out and buy a PUPPY??

Discussion yes...arguments no thanks..

I think it is very sad when this happens. A friend of mine has a very difficult collie who was bought as a present for an elderly lady. He was never walked because he was too active and was kept in the utility chained to the washing machine to stop him jumping and scratching at the door, and let out to run in the garden a couple of times a day. Of course he developed all sorts of issues.

They rescued him from this when he was 9 months old when the lady finally realised that it wasn't a good life for him. He was scared of most things and also seemed to find it very difficult to learn as he had never been able to use his brain. He has got better but they have had him for 7 years now and each day is a challenge, he has never been an easy dog, but they will keep trying with him.

Depends on the circumstance. If the dog is very elderly, ill, frail, has severe behavioural problems, etc., then it is up to the owner. In those circumstances, sometimes it is beneficial NOT to walk the dog.

On the other hand, I believe that getting a puppy with the intention to never walk it IS cruel. Unless perhaps the owners live on a farm or small holding or have a LOT (and I don't just mean an average sized fenced in garden - I mean a lot of acreage) of land. But if we are talking owners who live in an average semi-detached house with a small to average sized garden, yes it is cruel. Young dogs NEED to get out and socialize if they are to develop normally mentally. If they are deprived of the outside world this cannot happen. Confining a social animal to the same small space day in, day out for year after year is comparable to being imprisoned. Dogs rely on us as their sole source of entertainment. They cannot switch on the TV or read a book when bored. They look to us. There is only so much ball playing in the garden they can take before it becomes dull and repetative.

That being said, I know people do, but I cannot imagine a rational human being purchasing a high-energy breed of puppy and NEVER walking it. That bizzare logic just defies me. I am of the mentality that if you want a house pet that you don't have to never walk, get a cat.

I personally think its not only cruel but irresponsible to have a dog and not walk them, they not only need and should have exercise but the stimulation of different surroundings, smells etc etc.. I know people that have dogs and they are shut in the kitchen for most of the day and they wonder why their dogs are destructive. If peoples circumstances/situations change and they cannot walk their dogs then they should find someone to do it for them and if thats not possible, then it would be kinder to rehome them..My dog unfortunately has had several ops this year and there have been weeks when she has not been able to have walks and has needed to rest but i can tell that she has got very depressed about being housebound and i have found it very difficult to see her so unhappy..

good thread

i think its a disgrace to have a dog then not walk it . i know of few people ,who never ever wak there dogs . have small gardens they stand in the windows looking out it breaks my heart it really dos . mine go out .3 times a day . long walks at the weekend to met up with people . i have to help my parents a lot . but i all ways .run the dogs first .to make them happy .then take them with me ,to my parents house . i wouldnt dream of haveing a dog then not walking ,it its a disgrace .you have no rights to have a dog then not walk it . i love standing watching mine run . it makes me laugh even if i feel unwell i still , put them in the car and take them to the park ,we may not stay as long .but i still take them out . as for saying they can run round the garden .whats that all about (load rubbish ) if you cant walk them ,dont have them . they have them then the novalty wears off ,so they throw them in the garden

Makes my heart glad I live in such a tolerant society

Hope very much those who love walking their dogs can carry on and never become disabled and their dogs stay fit and healthy and never become disabled.

And those of us who are disabled or with disabled dogs lets hope we can all keep our dogs because in the sort of society some posters are talking about we would probably have our dogs forcibly removed no matter how long we had loved and kept them happy.

I think this is a really interesting discussion. At first the OPS title, you think simple enough question and answer. But this is not the case. There are many factors. Yes my first impression is a dog should be walked regularly. Then I started thinking about the various people that I know of with dogs and it's a minefield. Breeds of dogs come into it, age of owners etc. It's a tough one with no straightforward answer. There is an older lady who lives opposite. She has a medium size garden, took on an older jack russell she felt she couldn't cope with a puppy and also didn't want to think about what if the dog outlived her. She got this little dog from a rescue (he's 7 now, so a harder dog to rehome). The dog is loved to bits and adores her. It had been in the rescue for nearly two years so rehoming was not looking good. The lady has health issues so doesn't really leave the house. So the dog is not walked. But to me what is the best option for this dog. A warm loving home. Companionship day and night. A garden big enough to run round and play in. His own chair by the fire??? Or his other option perhaps a small concrete run, with a run around the fenced in paddock every other day at the rescue for the rest of his life perhaps. So in this case I think the owner is not cruel but has provided a better life for the dog.
So there are many individual cases and experiences.
Yes I personally think dogs should be walked but then the whole reason I got my dogs was to get me out the house. There's nothing better than walking for miles, just me and my dogs. Some people are not lucky enough to be able to do this though. But their level of love is still there in abundance to give to a dog. So no dog should be denied the love and companionship that someone could give them even if their owners for some reason cannot walk them. On the flip side anyone capable of walking their dogs for whatever distance yes in my view should make the effort to take them out.
Another question that comes to my mind is which is worse. A dog that has company most of the time but isn't walked or a dog that may get a walk every day but is left on his own for 8 hours a day. Which is crueller??? In my mind the second is crueller. Again there are permittable circumstances in some cases but I don't see the point of having a dog if you don't get to spend the time with it, whether it be a walk or a cuddle on the sofa.

Nobody has suggested anything of the sort! I know at least 6 disabled people with dogs - one my son, one a colleague, one a friend using a mobility scooter, plus 2 guys in the park with motorised wheelchairs, two ladies who use sticks to walk with etc. etc. They all enjoy getting out with their dogs - it enhances their life. I`m sorry you can`t get out yourself, but other people are still entitled to voice their opinions about the benefits and advisability of socialising and exercising dogs.

Very Well Said.

Its not an arguement just because I dont agree with everything you say, I just think things are not totally black and white. The fact is you said

Nothing to do with it not being walked but the fact it might outlive its owner and go into rescue - as I said any dog can do that we have no idea what is going to happen in the future - should none of us have dogs? Do you know she has not made plans just in case?

Well said - I for one am no perfect dog owner and willingly admit it and will not be judgemental of anyone who is trying their damndest to do right for their pets. You keep them happy and loved, its a damn sight more than some people do.

Megan57 again the voice of reason and a wonderful post - thank you for not seeing everything as black and white.