yes and I`ve got a 14 year old dog who goes out when he chooses to (which isn`t often). However hopefully neither of us would have a dog which never went out ever?

eta - actually - a friend occasionally drives him down the Park for a sniff about, which he loves. He gets very excited when her car pulls up.

I think that's a bit different! In that circumstance it isn't cruel.

I was lucky when Len was ancient we live opposite a small green, he was always keen to go for a walk but couldn't go very far at all so we walked to the end of the close (30ft!) and stood around on the green for a bit! He loved the smells (being a foxhound cross!) and the wind......and then we plodded back. He still tried to run occasionaly!

Surely that’s a bit contradictory, on one hand you say its not right for dogs to spend years in rescue (do wonder what you consider as an alternative to that) yet dogs that are not walked every day should not be in a home, again what is the alternative, rescue?

I have 2 very different dogs – one was nervous of everything as one of yours – not because she had never been out of a garden but because she had been schooled all her life and very well exercised, socialised with her own kind for the first 8 years of her life.


Your circumstances change or something happens to the dog and what ..... it gets taken away?

So your saying that people with dogs who cannot go out for one reason or another or get their exercise in other ways should be taken off people? If this was made law a lot more dogs would end up in rescue. Also how about the rescues who may have big runs for the dogs but they are not walked every day – what would your suggestion be to them? Be very careful what you wish for to become law!

So I take you know this woman has had the dog since puppyhood. What a horrible vet to give someone an earbashing – surely it would be better to explain things in more pleasant ways, I know if my vet gave my parents an earbashing we would all of changed vets.

Do you know it wasn’t? I saw nothing in the post to indicate either way, Im merely pointing out there are many reasons dogs can be over weight or not walked everyday, until ALL the circumstances are known who is anyone to be so judgemental?

No but it seems some here would

Well saying they shouldn’t have a dog indicated that they shouldn’t have a dog, or would you still leave the dog with them?

You presume to know everyones dog better than the owners? Well some dont for a long time and it takes a lot of time and patients to get to a state to go out.

So now my parents have had their dog castigated for having a fat dog and taken off them because they are elderly? Many 'elderly' people are perfectly capable of walking their dog and to deny them the companionship of a dog due to age is rather unfair

That made me chuckle, Lenny used to love a ride in car too, it wore him out as much as a walk used to. All the excitement! I used to think of him as an old man and thought he should have a bath chair and a rug over his knees - especially once he was passed 19 years!

There are lots of ways to get dogs walked for you if you can't do it yourself, even charities such as The Cinamon Trust which were begun to help elderly people care for their dogs.

No no Spot, what I was saying was not an attack on the elderly! I was just responding to the original topic of the post...

(an elderly couple who knew they wouldnt be able to walk a dog... yet plunged for a GSD and decided letting it pace round the garden would be good enough...)

I think we all have elderly relatives, some of mine are dog owners too, and they do just fine. But I dont think people should be getting dogs if they know full well that the dog won't be properly exercised. Thats just irresponsible and not very thoughtful.

I do seem to know a lot of people who dont walk their dogs.

As well as the lady i mentioned earlier i also know another who has four Jack Russells and she only takes them out for a ride in the car

And I have mentined politley to both or these ladies about walking their dogs - they just say they dont need it, they have plenty of toys and run of garden!!
They are both very opinionated and I cant be doing with getting in a row over it they will never change.

As someone else said the main problem i have is that although this pup is probably happy enough now, chances are it will outlive the owners and it will go into rescue...god knows what it will be like.

I dont think anyone on here is criticising people that dont walk elderly or poorly dogs so no need to debate that peeps

That's bonkers! If they can take them for a ride in the care, surely they could stop off at a park and let them have a run around! Maybe it is an excuse because none of their dogs have a good recall!!

You may have first hand evidence of aggression but do you have evidence the dogs would not have become aggressive anyway ?

I have only the evidence of my own two dogs but they completely contradict your findings.

I think I would need a much larger study to believe either was the norm.

Also we must remember all dogs are different and whereas some may not need walking everyday some will need it.

You know what i think youre completely right!

One of my friends has 3 small dogs and she only walks them once on a weekend because she's embarrassed about their poor behaviour and doesn't know how to correct it!

what a cop-out