Folks who don't walk their dogs ...

I use a tie out with my Golden but only because he has horrible recall when it comes to chasing birds, if he sees one he will take off following the bird till who knows when so for his safety he is on a lead when he is outside. Its 100ft long and looped around a tree towards the back of the yard so he can get around the whole yard plus into the fields, all the way to the front door, back door and to the garage when we are outside. But for his safety because we do get wild animals that come down to eat in the fields him and Frankln are never left outside unsupervised, someone must be standing out there watching them at all times, at night I have a flashlight I take out with me because he poops in the back of the yard so I shine the spotlight on him so I can see what he is doing and where he is.

I do not walk my dogs. It has nothing to do with being a lazy ass, or a bad owner. Where I live most dogs roam free. My 5 pound pomeranian is not safe even on the end of a leash.

Originally Posted by mbjerkness

I do not walk my dogs. It has nothing to do with being a lazy ass, or a bad owner. Where I live most dogs roam free. My 5 pound pomeranian is not safe even on the end of a leash.

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OMG...I love pomeranians...I want one soooo bad but this is my plan for post Max and Franklin times. BF was a boston terrier (smushed nose pointy ears...not my type of dog) I want a pomeranian sooo bad I have to admit though I want one because of the bad rep they have Im in love with those bossy little toy dogs. Haha. If I could have 3 dogs Id have a rottie in the mix too...lol

Originally Posted by 3CatsN1Dog

OMG...I love pomeranians...I want one soooo bad but this is my plan for post Max and Franklin times. BF was a boston terrier (smushed nose pointy ears...not my type of dog) I want a pomeranian sooo bad I have to admit though I want one because of the bad rep they have Im in love with those bossy little toy dogs. Haha. If I could have 3 dogs Id have a rottie in the mix too...lol

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This is my second Pom neither of mine have been yappy or bossy. Both of mine have been wonderful family dogs, they get along with kids, cats other dogs.

Where I live people often keep their dogs inside and don't walk them. They just put the dog on a leash and wander around in their yard for a short time until the dog does it's business and then they rush it back inside right away. I don't think a dog necessarily needs to be walked every day, but it should at the very least have a fenced in yard where it can run, play, get some exercise, and just act like a dog in general.

And I have a scary story to share too:
I live in a rural area and several years ago I was walking to work in the dark early one morning. When I was halfway through an area that's kind of empty between my house and the neighbor's houses, I noticed a pack of 4 or 5 dogs that kept constantly zig zagging back and forth across the road like they were hunting. I was terrified. I don't know what these dogs were, and I knew no one would hear me if I got attacked and started screaming, so I tried to get back to my house without running. Ater a minute I turned and looked back and that's when I saw the person who was walking behind the dogs and controlling them. So I continued walking to work but I wasn't happy about that person's method of dog walking.

When we had dogs we rarely ever walked them. We let them into our fenced back yard. We often went out there and played fetch with them and what not, so they were given attention and exercise outdoors. We have a leash law here, so if you do take your dog for a walk you HAVE to have them on a leash and you HAVE to pick up their poop.

I don't think it's fair for someone to say that just b/c I don't walk my dogs means I shouldn't own one. I have nothing against people that tie out their dog, we had to do it when we got our first dog before we had our fence put in. We do have a law here, though, that you can't tie your dog out for more than 15 minutes at a time, even if you have a fence. If you have a fence, though, you can leave your dog outside for as long as you want to.

When we move to our acreage, I refuse to let our dog just roam. The two times we went there to look at the property, there were a bunch of dogs just roaming loose. Our property has two pastures, one on each side of the "yard", and they are both fenced, but there is no fence on the road side of the "yard". When we move in, that's one of the first things we plan to do is put in a fence and a gate to keep other dogs OUT of our yard and to keep our dogs IN our yard. For one thing, we want to get chickens and goats, and I don't want someone else's dog coming into our yard and killing or attacking them.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

When we had dog we rarely ever walked them. We let them into our fenced back yard. We often went out there and played fetch with them and what not, so they were given attention outdoors. We have a leash law here, so if you do take your dog for a walk you HAVE to have them on a leash and you HAVE to pick up their poop.

I don't think it's fair for someone to say that just b/c I don't walk my dogs means I shouldn't own one.

I have nothing against people that tie out their dog, we had to do it when we got our first dog before we had our fence put in. We do have a law here, though, that you can't tie your dog out for more than 15 minutes at a time, even if you have a fence. If you have a fence, though, you can leave your dog outside for as long as you want to.

When we move the the acreage, I refuse to let our dog just roam. The two times we went there to look at the property, there were a bunch of dogs just roaming loose. Our property has two pastures, one on each side of the "yard", and they are both fenced, but there is no fence on the road side of the "yard". When we move in, that's one of the first things we plan to do is put in a fence and a gate to keep other dogs OUT of our yard and to keep our dogs IN our yard. For one thing, we want to get chickens and goats, and I don't want someone else's dog coming into our yard and killing or attacking them.

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I agree just because you don't walk your dog doesn't mean you shouldn't have one, or be called names. We have a large yard the dogs play in, and the kids play with the dogs. They get lots of exercise and they are safe.

Some people can't walk their well behaved leashed dogs without being harassed, threatened, or harmed by the lovely people's dogs, the ones who just let theirs roam.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

I don't think it's fair for someone to say that just b/c I don't walk my dogs means I shouldn't own one.

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I don't recall anyone saying that here.

Originally Posted by mbjerkness

I agree just because you don't walk your dog doesn't mean you shouldn't have one, or be called names.

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Nobody is calling your names or telling you you can't have a dog. My OP was referring to "lazy asses" who open the back door and let the dog run free in busy urban streets.

In my strong opinion, backyards are NEVER a substitute for proper daily walks (and by daily, I mean multiple walks a day for at least a half hour each). Both of my dogs go on at least 3-4 1/2 hour walks every day....rain, sleet, snow, scorching heat, or shine....no excuses. (now some people may have different breeds or mixes that don't require that level of exercise...my dogs however do. I think that exercises/walks should be taylored according to the breed/energy level so you can have the most healthy pet possible). I live up a flight of stairs in an apartment complex, so I don't have the luxuary of putting them out in a backyard when I want to be lazy/don't feel like walking them; they HAVE to go out. It's honestly a blessing in disguise because they never miss those imporatant walks that help to socialize them and maintain their training (it also keeps me active on days when I don't feel well and forces me to get a little exercise in). In the past when I've lived in homes with backyards, I always walked my old dogs as well. Having previously worked as a vet tech/aco, I've seen first hand how dogs benefit from proper bonding/walks...the more involved owners are in their dogs like taking them on daily walks, the deeper their bond becomes and the less likely the dogs are to be rehomed or dumped. / From a behavior perspective, dogs also benefit from the foward movement/stimulation that comes along with proper walking techniques as well vs. running circles alone in a back yard. Backyards can be great substitutes for dogs to run around and play safely in, but if dogs aren't walked properly, those backyards can also lead to bordeom, destructive behavior, and other issues.

I trained my old Aussie for SAR and his training was intense...walks/runs were part of his conditioning. I am currently training my Aussie pup, Ranger for therapy work so we're getting prepared for Therapy Dog International and his CGC test in addition to the classes he's currently taking. I'm very strict on his walking schedule and I alternate between loose leash walks, heels,etc. My new dog Macy is also in training and although she is special needs and unable to be used for therapy work, she still recieves the same quality training/walks on a daily basis. It keeps them both healthy and happy. Since I don't have a backyard here at my apartment complex, we visit the dog park almost daily-my apartment complex has a private entrance to a huge public park/dog park, so my two really enjoy having a nice area to exercise/train in too along with their regular walks. Proper walks improve logevity, behavior, overall health, and socialization (and helps keep humans healthy too!)

Originally Posted by Primula

I don't recall anyone saying that here.

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Post #7 by "Miagi's_Mommy", the very first sentence.

I don't think people who don't walk their dogs should have them, period.

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How else am I supposed to interpret that? *shrug*

Originally Posted by Primula

Nobody is calling your names or telling you you can't have a dog. My OP was referring to "lazy asses" who open the back door and let the dog run free in busy urban streets.

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Yes, we are being called lazy.

I think StarryEyed Tiger's post above sums it up very well.

Originally Posted by Miagi's_Mommy

I don't think people who don't walk their dogs should have them, period.

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Originally Posted by Milk maid

There is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.

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My thoughts exactly. If you have a dog, take it for a 30 minute walk every once in a while. Some breeds may need more or less time walking, but they all need exercise. If your dog makes it difficult to take them for a walk, train them. There's lots of websites and resources about training, there's dog trainers in pretty much every major city, etc.