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What's your excuse ?

My dogs get MINIMUM 1hrs worth of walking a day, I have not missed that in 9 years no matter what the weather or how i'm feeling. When i'm away, my dogsitter does as I ask. I know she does ok, because they're not freaking out with excess energy when I come back home. Your wife is doing the right thing. I'll bet she finds delivery much easier because she'll be in better shape. Hope all goes great!
Replies (18)
    • I have the flu at the moment so my wife took the dogs out to walk them today. Mind you she is almost 7 months pregnant, when I work she walks them regardless. There is no excuse not to take your dogs out and give them proper exercise.
      • My dogs get MINIMUM 1hrs worth of walking a day, I have not missed that in 9 years no matter what the weather or how i'm feeling. When i'm away, my dogsitter does as I ask. I know she does ok, because they're not freaking out with excess energy when I come back home. Your wife is doing the right thing. I'll bet she finds delivery much easier because she'll be in better shape. Hope all goes great!
        • Thank you :) she is awesome and my best friend. My wife loves the pets like our kids. By the way I was looking at your website and it is awesome thy you traveled to Japan to see your favorite breed. I keep thinking if those Tosa kennels were affected by the Tsunami ? :(
          • The Tosa center is by Katsurahama beach, but it's a fair bit higher ground. I have no idea if a Tsunami could reach up there. There's Tosas all over Japan though, i'm sure most are ok. It was one of the best trips in my life :)
            • I honestly don't think exercise is even the issue with getting dogs out every day. I've come to understand dogs fairly well I feel and I really think the main reason they need to get out everyday is to stimulate their noses and smell some interesting things. My dogs get plenty of exercise running around my yard wrestling and chasing each other but I'll still get them out every day for a good hour and also make sure I'm taking them places with lots of interesting smells. Sometimes I see people walking their dogs with those nose-halter things and pulling them away from every smell, I really think that's just torture. Dogs are smell-focussed in the way we humans are sight-focussed. Think about how much we like to stimulate our eyes every day, watching tv, admiring a view or looking at forums on the internet or whatever. I see walking dogs as their chance to watch their favourite tv show or spend time on the internet, ofcourse if you can get them panting as well and exercising hard that just heightens the experience. But yeah I feel like people need to understand that exercise is only part of it. A treadmill is fine for burning off energy but it's no substitute for a walk.
              • No excuse. Took the bulldogs out last night and we ate a pizza in the park. Afterward they ran around like lunatics. Then they crapped. Then they ran some more.
                • I always like to give my dog the best possible DOG life. That includes, playing together, riding in my SUV, walking to the market, giving good food and treats, having a comfortable place to sleep and feel safe, play time with other dogs, and of course plenty of out doors adventures. We spend 1 1/2 yesterday evening in the hills, exploring new trails. Her hunting instinct is coming out more and more, so any scent she was catching, I would let her go for it. These are remote hills where nobody goeas after 6:00 PM. We had a great time!
                  • Stimulation. Both mental and physical.
                    • [quote1300453260=Tonedog] I honestly don't think exercise is even the issue with getting dogs out every day. I've come to understand dogs fairly well I feel and I really think the main reason they need to get out everyday is to stimulate their noses and smell some interesting things. My dogs get plenty of exercise running around my yard wrestling and chasing each other but I'll still get them out every day for a good hour and also make sure I'm taking them places with lots of interesting smells. Sometimes I see people walking their dogs with those nose-halter things and pulling them away from every smell, I really think that's just torture. Dogs are smell-focussed in the way we humans are sight-focussed. Think about how much we like to stimulate our eyes every day, watching tv, admiring a view or looking at forums on the internet or whatever. I see walking dogs as their chance to watch their favourite tv show or spend time on the internet, ofcourse if you can get them panting as well and exercising hard that just heightens the experience. But yeah I feel like people need to understand that exercise is only part of it. A treadmill is fine for burning off energy but it's no substitute for a walk. [/quote1300453260] I couldn't have said it better. There are dog owners who keep their dogs fat on the couch and then there are owners that run their dog on a mill and never get to see the world. When we walk Bernie we do a combination of fun stimulation for him and obedience work. Half the walk he gets to do whatever he wants we encourage pulling which he does very well and it gives him a great workout. The other half is collar walking. Here is an example of how he is trained, the second the collar is clipped he knows to walk properly. However, once the harness is clipped he goes nuts lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFVuakXXic&sns=em
                        • Another thing I've noticed, is many people use the excuse of having a "big" yard for not walking their dog. I hear people make comments such as "you need a big yard if you want a dog", or "we have a big yard, the dog doesn't need to go out". I think this is wrong. It would be the same as saying, you have a big house, therefore you can spend the rest of your life in the house, no need to go out and see other things. We now live in an apartment with a decent size patio. Yes we don't have a yard, but I kow my dog is much happier than many dogs that have a yard. She goes out 3-4 times a day, spends at least 1 hours in the moutains running, and another 2-3 hours walking/riding in my SUV, ect.
                          • Thank you for the link Betsy. I agree on the yard issue, we have a decry sized yard and I am sure he could run enough to get tired but that is not enough. I think a lot of these dog attacks happen when a fearful dog escapes the yard and freaks out the second it sees something new and it goes into fight mode.
                            • [quote1300507523=Castanha] Another thing I've noticed, is many people use the excuse of having a "big" yard for not walking their dog. I hear people make comments such as "you need a big yard if you want a dog", or "we have a big yard, the dog doesn't need to go out". I think this is wrong. It would be the same as saying, you have a big house, therefore you can spend the rest of your life in the house, no need to go out and see other things. We now live in an apartment with a decent size patio. Yes we don't have a yard, but I kow my dog is much happier than many dogs that have a yard. She goes out 3-4 times a day, spends at least 1 hours in the moutains running, and another 2-3 hours walking/riding in my SUV, ect. [/quote1300507523] your right, even if you have like 10 acres or something, eventually the dogs grow used to it and its all old news, they still get bored and end up just sitting around, and they always get excited when you take them out. theres a reason they get excited.
                              • My dogs only want to be where I am, so even if I fenced my 6.5 acre yard, they would be scratching down the door to get back in the house. :(
                                • I once broke my foot and needed crutches for 4 months, guess what... I still walked my dog everyday even on the first night I broke it. He was that good of a dog that I could not take what made him most happy away from him.
                                  • [quote1300741648=Igmuska] Stimulation. Both mental and physical. [/quote1300741648] I felt this one should be re-upped. There are many dogs who live in cities or rural settings who, while having acres of land to run or taking walks in the city, are mentally very bored and destructive. Conversely, there are dogs in these settings that mentally stimulated but are in bad shape physically. It has to be a combination of mental and physical stimulation daily for a dog to be healthy and happy. Look at the major zoos, they are all doing what is called enrichment activities, like building false carcasses and feeding the big cats and scavenger birds out of it, or freezing fish in a block of ice for the polar bears etc... dogs can't be expected to just be content being our "pets". Give them a job, no matter how remedial to you, and they will start to care about the job and become better animals.
                                    • Sad thing the response I got from the Pit Bull forums were much different the ones from you guys. Most of the APBT people swear by doing stuff in the yard or threadmill and they think there is no need to take their Pit Bull out in public :(
                                      • I also wanted to add some photos I took of him :) This was in class last week !
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