Do you think its cruel not to walk your dog...?

Not mine!!!

Just wondering your views, I know most Dogsey members walk their dogs loads but reading another thread got me thinking...

I know of now at least three people who dont walk them at all (and have known one in the past).
Now possibly fair enough if you have a lot of land or for dogs medical reasons you cant, but what if you just like dogs around the House and not walking?!

A lady i know is looking after her dying partner, she herself is elderly but they have recently got a GSD pup - it will never be walked - she says it can run round the garden!!!
To top it off she calls herself an expert, judges at local shows and has worked for rescue centres!

I know of at least two more house dogs - just run of the garden..

I find it a real shame - i even thought about calling the RSPCA, but the dogs are happy and well cared for in every other way...so what would they do??
Maybe its just cos i love seeing my dogs run and let off steam that i feel like this.

If you couldnt walk would you give your dogs up or keep them as house dogs??

Do you think it is cruel to keep a perfectly healthy dog and not ever walk it??

I think it's a shame if they can't get out for a walk, as like you say they let off a lot of steam. I would love to get out and walk Wembley, and have made so many plans about where we are going to take him eventually, it's nice to get out and about, see places you wouldn't normally go because you are being encouraged by the dog. It burns off excess energy and helps them look forward to another day of walks.

An old lady was at the vets today, she had the biggest Shih Tzu I have even seen, almost as wide as he was long, and she was saying he doesn't walk because of his weight. I didn't have the heart to tell her if he had been walked in the first place he wouldn't have a weight problem. Apparently he had walked 10 mins up the road and he was spluttering and yakking when he walked in. He wasn't that old either, about 8

I think so IMO. To me a perfectly healthy dog should be out and about. But then maybe I have odd ideas, we used to have a neighbour, few years back, that kept her dog permanantly outside in a shed, she said it was a guard dog....must of been guarding the shed, because it never came out, it was never walked and some days they didn't feed it until way past 11 pm, so that meant it never got to go outside to the toilet......doesn't bear thinking about what mess the shed must of been in.
Finally it was removed by another neighbour,and they said it went to a new home, Hope it's better off now.
If I didn't walk mine I think they would go stir crazy

I have to say I do think it's a bit cruel not to walk the dog. Can you imagine been stuck behind the same four walls with the same people all day, every day? You'd go mad! Not only is a walk good physical exercise, it's good mental exercise as the dog is effectively reading the equivalent of the doggy newspaper.

Fair enough if you're disabled or poorly, but not taking the mutt out for a walk at least once everyday is pretty unfair on the dog imo.

*Waits to be shot down......*

How sad for that GSD. Poor thing won't have a life, more an existance. It's totally wrong and very cruel. The should rehome the dog and get a bloody cat!

totally agree, quite a few people round here only walk their dogs once a week round the block ...... and i think that is such a shame, they must be bored out of their minds!

i loved walking Rog, got me out and thinking about other stuff and i loved meeting new people and new dogs!
and he loved it too!

Personally I think walks are very important to dogs. Some breeds need more exercise than others but playing in the garden doesn't sound enough to me. It must make for a very dull life and doesn't give them much chance to meet other dogs and people.
If you have an older dog I suppose it might not be so bad but I know several oldies who still enjoy their outings.
If people aren't able to walk themselves couldn't they at least try to find someone who is, other dog owners, friends, neighbours ?????

With the best will in the world no dog can get through life without going to new places......by not walking them or socialising/exposing them to new experiences is asking for trouble.

Besides....would you really want to be improsoned by four walkks with 2-3 hours running about in the same place every day....

Not fair IMHO

It is totally ridiculous. People who cannot or will not walk their dogs should not have them.

I hope the vet threatened her within an inch of her life. Poor animal.

I don't think it's fair when people don't walk their dogs . If your circumstances change and you are unable to walk them then you should try and make arrangements to get them walked . On a Thursday I walk 2 dogs for an elderly lady who is no longer able to walk her dogs due to illness . She has a few volunteers and some days she pays a dogwalker so they can get walked .
Also it depends on the breed I would imagine a very active dog would be worse affected by not getting out . It's not always the biggest dogs who would suffer most . At present I have a little poodle pup who is the most hyperactive dog I have ever had