Walking your dog - if you don't have one, walk your neighbor's dog!

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My husky was dreadful when we first got him. His last owners hadn't treated him well and he was terrible on the leash. I walked him on a golf course (on the edges when the golfers were on and in it when they left for the day) and he would pull and pull and pull at the sight of another dog or birds. A 75 pound husky has quite a pull!

    My ex and I worked with him every day and he became the bestest dog in the whole world.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    I love walking my dog. And my dog makes me walk even when I would rather sit on the couch once I am out there all is good

  • parker313_99
    parker313_99 Posts: 17 Member
    We have a 2yr old lab/greyhoundish mix and she's the best running/walking partner ever. We walk every morning after walking my son to school and we've got a running belt so I can clip her leash in. She's done several races with me - everything from a 5K up to a half marathon. When I would take a walking break during the half marathon, she would whine at me, as if to ask "WHY AREN'T WE RUNNING?!".
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I love watching my older sister's dog because walking her is always fun. She's always excited to see me because me and my brother are the only ones that will give her the walk a young, energetic mutt like her deserves.

    My sister never bothers with any sort of training or care outside of making sure the dog is fed. She actually dumped her last pet, a cat, because it didn't use the litter box. Turns out, the sister never cleaned it.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    I'd rather kill myself than walk any dog. :grumble:

    I do just fine without an animal. :+1:
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  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    My elderly neighbour had a heart problem and couldn't walk his dog properly, so I started taking him for walks, which was great, as it got me out of the house every day. Gradually, we started running, and together we did the c25k! The neighbours operation was successful, and he started walking the dog again, but Roly still loved our runs. I have moved now, but I still occasionally go to see them, and every time, I have to take the dog for a run or he sulks :smiley:

    What a wonderful experience! I'm so glad you were there for them both!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    I don't have a dog, but whenever I hit 3 mph on a walk, MFP defaults to "moderate pace, walking dog." So apparently I don't need one.

    Too funny!11
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    I let my niece and nephew and the neighborhood kids walk my dog all the time. He's very well trained, and I showed them exactly how to hold the leash. We walk past nearly every neighbors' houses and hear their dogs barking from inside, who are never taken on a walk. THAT'S what we're talking about to the people who can't figure it out.

    I'm just curious, how do you verify that none of their dogs are ever taken on a walk?

    Because I've offered to take their dogs on a walk and they say that they get enough exercise running around inside the house.

    Maybe they just didn't know how to say they don't want a stranger walking their dog?
    Anyway, I take my Pomeranian for a walk everyday. He's a little plump so we both need the exercise.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    ehExgh8.jpg?1

    What a cutie!!!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    I let my niece and nephew and the neighborhood kids walk my dog all the time. He's very well trained, and I showed them exactly how to hold the leash. We walk past nearly every neighbors' houses and hear their dogs barking from inside, who are never taken on a walk. THAT'S what we're talking about to the people who can't figure it out.

    I'm just curious, how do you verify that none of their dogs are ever taken on a walk?

    Because I've offered to take their dogs on a walk and they say that they get enough exercise running around inside the house.

    Maybe they just didn't know how to say they don't want a stranger walking their dog?
    Anyway, I take my Pomeranian for a walk everyday. He's a little plump so we both need the exercise.

    I'm not a stranger anymore; have lived in this neighborhood for ten years. ALTHOUGH a few neighbors have noticed my weight loss and are thinking about walking their dogs . . . hope spring eternal!
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    My dog is a great motivator to go for a hike or jog. He wears a little backpack on our hikes that contains his water, treats, and water dish. I have a backpack that I wear too on our hikes, and if he sees me grab either one he knows it is time for a romp in the woods. He also knows what the word "run" means and he gets excited to go for a jog in the neighborhood.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    debubbie wrote: »
    My dog is a great motivator to go for a hike or jog. He wears a little backpack on our hikes that contains his water, treats, and water dish. I have a backpack that I wear too on our hikes, and if he sees me grab either one he knows it is time for a romp in the woods. He also knows what the word "run" means and he gets excited to go for a jog in the neighborhood.

    Your dog is having a lot more fun than mine! I need to go camping with him! Thanks for sharing.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My Mom's dog, part Australian Shepherd, was an awesome walking companion. Another working dog breed, she needed to get miles of walks in per day or she'd have behavior issues.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Come rain (a soggy dog with a soggy Dad)...

    ieuf3mic4hoq.jpg

    or come shine...

    ps05szmem5vz.jpg

    :)
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    My Mom's dog, part Australian Shepherd, was an awesome walking companion. Another working dog breed, she needed to get miles of walks in per day or she'd have behavior issues.

    How odd! I met someone with an Australian Shepherd last Saturday! What a beautiful dog he was. I thought it was a collie, but he
    corrected me. His dog and my doxie became best friends while walking together on a 3/4 mile track.
  • angelasrescuedog
    angelasrescuedog Posts: 11 Member
    I walk every day with my fur baby. In all weathers. I have fields behind me and it's lovely in the summer. Cold and damp in the winter. Having a dog certainly makes a difference to me personally and as a family we take him everywhere with us. I'm also a qualified dog trainer so I suppose I'm biased He even has his own Facebook page lol. 3ay1pmk52cyg.jpg
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    @angelasrescuedog How very sweet!!!
  • AMSmit88
    AMSmit88 Posts: 100 Member
    Oh well seeing as we're sharing pictures now...

    I love walking my bubba, especially as for a pug he's got heaps full of energy and I make sure he stays super trim with good long walks and lots of playing in the park!
    j0ndoc2pgthb.jpg


    And then when I go back home to the countryside I get to play with this giant goofball. I miss him! :'(

    oldgi576w2sw.jpg
  • AMSmit88
    AMSmit88 Posts: 100 Member
    likehlikeo wrote: »
    m3pejcajeztg.jpg

    What a fantastic photo!
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
    I love dog walking, I walk my dog for 2 hours a day. Once in the morning to the park and then through the woods in the evenings.

    I also run (currently 3 miles - 3 times a week) and find if my partner walks my dog instead of me, even on my exercise days I still don't meet the number of steps I do from just walking!

    Its fantastic exercise not just physically but also mentally - nothing like a walk in the woods with you best friend after work.
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
    I love walking my dog. And my dog makes me walk even when I would rather sit on the couch once I am out there all is good

    This is soo true - come rain, snow or sunshine :)
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  • AMSmit88
    AMSmit88 Posts: 100 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    This is quickly becoming my favorite thread.

    I second that notion. Puppies everywhere!
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    I don't have any dogs and love to hike in the mountains around me but won't do it alone so I borrow a friend's dog. I swear she saved my life once.
    We were hiking along, she stopped and sniffed the air then came to me and cowered at my feet. I put the leash on her and tried to get her to continue the hike but she wouldn't have it. She literally pulled me back to the car so I drove us to another area and she was fine.
    I bet that there was a bear or cougar nearby.

    Please keep the dog on a leash at all times, and the definition of a leash is 6' or less. This is for the dog's safety, your safety, the wildlife's safety, and for my safety.

    I have had more close encounters with dogs out in the woods than I have with wild animals. There has been two times in recent years that I nearly had to resort to firearm use on threatening dogs that were off leash. The owners weren't even apologetic.

    The owners were nearby and you... shot their dogs? And then expected an apology?

    I'm going to stick with the treadmill in the gym. Not for fear of loose dogs, but just in case any randoms are out walking with guns. That, and I hate bugs and humidity.

    Having trouble with your reading comprehension? No dog was shot.

    Okay, so just fired the gun in the air? You sort of left that one hanging. No need for the insult, you weren't very specific.

    I'll quote myself here;
    "There has been two times in recent years that I nearly had to resort to firearm use on threatening dogs that were off leash."

    Nearly had to resort does not indicate a weapon was shot. You are interjecting your imagination into what was written. Fact is the errant dog owners never saw my weapon.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    edited May 2015
    Oh I can participate because I just got a dog (first one in my adult life) last Saturday! He's not great on a leash yet, but we're working on it. I'm not a runner, but I've thought about taking it up because he likes to run so much. He's a little lab/boxer/pitbull/no clue mix we rescued.

    11008637_10153865543350760_4446790213799669054_n.jpg?oh=45960b6ab3aacb52de51a761917e149d&oe=560A30EE
    FullSizeRender.jpg

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  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    edited May 2015
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Awesome job with the rescue. We've been looking into doing that soon but we need to find a compatible puppy with our little dude we already have.

    I couldn't recommend going with a rescue enough. We have two cats, one who was bitten by a dog and now has three legs, and a lot of people coming in and out of our house. Plus we know nothing about dogs and training them. They worked with us and found this guy who is super mellow, low prey drive, crate trained, house broken, obedience trained, doesn't jump on people, doesn't bark much...he's awesome. His foster brought him to our house to see how he'd react to the cats before we adopted him. He came with a bed, toys, leash, collar, bag of food and bowls. We returned some of that stuff to the rescue and bought our own. He's fully vetted and we get a year of free training. I don't know how rescues work in other cities, but if they're anything like ours, I wouldn't get a dog from anywhere else!
  • SophiaSerrao
    SophiaSerrao Posts: 234 Member
    edited May 2015
    MrM27 wrote: »
    ehExgh8.jpg?1

    Awww!! Awesome picture. Sun in its face, big old grin aaand looking at the camera! A picture win.

    I want five minutes with him, lol. He looks adorable.
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