Do you log walking your dog?

tabulator32

I have three dogs and we all go walking together.

You better believe I log that. If walking those three crazy pooches at once doesn't count as exercise, I don't know what would.

UpEarly

Absolutely! I take my dog out walking for a full hour, over tough mountainous terrain, moving 4.25 mph. My heartrate monitor shows anywhere from 600-650 calories burned for each of those walks. I'd be insane not to log that!

(I don't use the 'walking the dog' entry either - I count it as hiking, because that's what it actually is! The presence of my dog doesn't make it *not* hiking! LOL)

Also... my activity level in MFP is set to sedentary.

DoodleDaft

I have three dogs too and log their walks, I have an app for my phone that keeps track of my walking speed and tend to average between 3 and 3.5 mph.

becoming_a_new_me

I don't have a dog, but I log when I walk myself :drinker:

mandylooo

I have cats. Should I log negative calories burned for not walking them?

dlw13

I log all of my exercise activity...walking, running, boxing, lifting, etc. I think my dog is pleased that I joined MFP because I've been taking her for more walks.

nikki778

I never did but then I found myself walking for an hour so I began to log it.
Do what you feel, I see people log Cleaning so every movement counts

becoming_a_new_me

You can only log it if you walk your dog like this

thinclo

i always log it! feels good to see the calories burned and a walking is exercise so why not? just my view anyway lol

kimmianne89

I didn't at first but my lifestyle is set as sedentary so I log them now.
Especially as my dad wants the dog to love him more so he keeps taking her out just before I get home and things so its not gaurenteed everyday-.-

crazytreelady

I walk my dog every day... And even though I walk quite fast, I only log it in at 2 mph.
I would rather have the calories from exercise logged as lower then they really and have better results in a few weeks... Also, no disappointment.

Kathleen_Presnell

I log it when I do..because my life is very sedintary. Not great at all so when I do stuff, like walk the dog, swim laps, bike or do stuff like cleaning the house I write it down. I was really lazy, fat and didn't do much. Now my life has changed. My dog is more healthy now and we love walking super fast! Log it if you do it!

kellyyjean

I think I would log it. Some say they don't because it is part of their daily routine. But I figure If I do aerobics 30 min. a day, every day, I count it even if it is part of my daily routine? Why not count walking the dog?

hbrittingham

I burn more calories walking all three of my dogs for 40-60 minutes than I do when I do the 30DS. I guess according to the OP's logic, I shouldn't log the 30DS when I do it either.

grendel322

My dog gets walks just about every day, rain, sun, snow, hot, cold, in-between! She doesn't care what the weather is, and I love her for it! AND I absolutely log the walks. They are usually a minimum of 20 minutes. Less than five I probably wouldn't bother.

froeschli

I burn more calories walking all three of my dogs for 40-60 minutes than I do when I do the 30DS. I guess according to the OP's logic, I shouldn't log the 30DS when I do it either.

never said my logic was flawless... in my head , exercising is optional, walking the dog isn't. just the way he trained me. i also bake peanut butter dog biscuits on demand

mandylooo

I burn more calories walking all three of my dogs for 40-60 minutes than I do when I do the 30DS. I guess according to the OP's logic, I shouldn't log the 30DS when I do it either.

never said my logic was flawless... in my head , exercising is optional, walking the dog isn't. just the way he trained me. i also bake peanut butter dog biscuits on demand

Like the training concept :-)

I do think that just because something is normal for you, doesn't mean you shouldn't log it. The idea is to get (calories in) - (calories out) = - 500 (approx) per day if you're trying to lose weight. It doesn't matter whether you log it by putting yourself down as "active" or by logging individual activities if you're down as "sedentary", but you do need to get the equation as near right as possible.

ToEKnee213

I log all of my exercise activity...walking, running, boxing, lifting, etc. I think my dog is pleased that I joined MFP because I've been taking her for more walks.

^^^^ :laugh:

I log when I take Anna out for her walks if they are more than 10 minutes. Just to bring her outside to do her business and come back in I don't log.

josephine_x

Too right I log it!! We do at least 30 mins while pushing my lump of a one year old in the pushchair and it certainly feels like exercise to me!

Weathers58

I walk my dog for an hour at 3 mph on top of my running and I sometimes put my garmin on and log it.

It all counts doesnt it?

And I can eat more afterwards

hazev74

if im pushing my little one in his pushchair i log it as walking the dog as i dont get to bring him until my days off . i work fulltime at a desk job.

shine_

I wouldn't if it was part of my daily routine anyway (I walk to the shops and to uni every day for example, but would have done that regardless so never log that) - but I probably would now as I don't live at home so going for long walks with our dog would be on top of what I do normally sort of thing. I wouldn't log a shorter walk though, only a longer one.

scottishmummyoftwoboys

Yep he gets 40-70 minutes most days on a Saturday afternoon we go a massive 2 hour walk and it burns a lot of calories!

Squiggs67

I definitely do! I walk hard every morning for 45 - 60 minutes with the dog. I work up a sweat so I log it.

rie84

I only count it if we go beyond our normal...

iwillsoonbeslim

I do a fair bit of hiking and mountain climbing (6-10 hours/15-25 miles/1000-6000 calories)......I log every second of that

As for my dog walks, my four get their main walk in the morning, of 30-60 minutes. I DON'T log this walk, as that's something I did when I was 18 stone, and it's something I'll do daily as long as I have dogs BUT. I log all other walks with them, as, for example, my lunchtime walk could be as little as 10 minutes strolling round the park playing with a ball...NOW it's a minimum of a 45 minute brisk walk. That is something I do to get my calories up, so it is certainly something worthy of logging

OkieinMinny

I am doing a 3 Day 60 mile walk in August and training is 16 weeks long (did it last year also) during the weeks walks are anywhere from 3-7 miles and my focus is walking during that time span and my dog comes with me, she walks at my pace so hell yeah I log that!!

MrsSWW

Absolutely! I think the dog walking reference it on the 3mph purely to give people an idea of the speed, not as a requirement to own a dog...

Our dogs are walked EVERY day but that doesn't mean I walk them, my husband and I work different shifts so rarely walk them together. Most of my '3mph dog walking' logs are actually me schlepping across town to and from work.

Cdcaldwe

When I first started walking the dog was my main exercise. I have actually had to start leaving the dog at home because it was starting to take its toll on the dog.

kaned_ferret

I absolutely log it in. I walk about 30 minutes at a steady pace and no stopping to sniff. Its good for both of us.

I know this is OT and I may well get bashed for saying it, but I just wanted to point out that not allowing a dog to stop and sniff is NOT good for it! (of course the exercise bit is, so good for you both, but from a mental stimulation perspective, and for fulfilment of natural behaviours, sniffing is absolutely necessary for a dog on walkabouts!)

I do log my walks if they're fairly well-paced, but if it's one of the days where we stop as much as start so the old boy can have a real good explore of everything, then it won't get logged. I'm set to sedentary though, so I don't feel like adding walking calories is clutching more more eating room lol.