It's almost spring! Will you walk your dog?

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  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    spacequiztime wrote: »
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    I can't believe that there are people who don't walk their dogs every day.

    Those people should be poked with sharp things.
    I have a relative with a Schnauzer that's stuck in her house all day with no stimulation whatsoever. She left the dog here a few weeks ago and it killed me inside not be able to walk her due the circumstances I was in. It really makes me wish it were harder for people to own pets.

    And with walking cats, I've read that it's not like walking dogs but it can be done and is certainly more preferable to just throwing them outside and letting them muck up other people's gardens.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTUfM1vEjs


    So very cute!!!
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    Probably already mentioned but the season shouldn't impact whether you walk your dog. They need exercise, can't keep them locked up for 12 years.

    Soon I will have no dogs here, all moving away with their owners.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
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    All dogs are different, just like all people are different. Dogs need exercise, but it doesn't matter if they go outside to get it or not. Some dogs do not tolerate cold well and should not be forced to go outside. Extremely small dogs have very little body mass and cannot retain heat in the cold the way a larger dog does, especially if they have a short coat or a single coat. Yes, putting a sweater on the dog can help, but it does not add size to the dog itself. Add to that that dogs of any size can be affected by the sand or the salt used to treat the sidewalk or the road. Sure, you might like that your dog has gotten three miles in with you, but will your dog appreciate the snowballs that form between their pads or the pad burns from the salt?

    No one would insist that a dog with a brachycephalic head go out in extreme heat or in high humidity. If that dog went out in such conditions, it could have difficulty breathing and possibly die. Not walking a dog under such conditions is not neglect; rather, it is responsible animal husbandry. I would be happy to leave my collie in the yard for hours in the cold--she loves it. The Siberian husky I walk loves the winter weather. I do not let my little Toy Fox Terriers out for more than a few minutes at a time if the temperature drops below 40. It is unfair to them and I would be devastated if anything happened to them because I did not take their environmental needs into account.
  • 1mumrevolution
    1mumrevolution Posts: 269 Member
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    I walk my beloved Goldendoodle every day, snow, hail, rain, wind, sun. She's very active at 4 years old and loves her runs out. I aim for a 5-6km walk with her daily and it's part of the lower intensity end of my exercise regime. I love my dog
  • 1mumrevolution
    1mumrevolution Posts: 269 Member
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    1mumrevolution wrote: »
    I walk my beloved Goldendoodle every day, snow, hail, rain, wind, sun. She's very active at 4 years old and loves her runs out. I aim for a 5-6km walk with her daily and it's part of the lower intensity end of my exercise regime. I love my dog


    q01anrv63o1e.jpg

  • sandraallangrimes
    sandraallangrimes Posts: 23 Member
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    My french bulldog loves to go for walks as long as there is no snow or ice on the ground. She gets so excited when you get her collar and leash, she knows we are either going bye bye or for walkies. I have taken her with me during some of the melting days to the city lake path, she can make it comfortably about 1 mile, any more laps than that she is spent and so out of breath.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
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    My cat is strictly indoor. He is a Ragdoll, and they have been (over?) bred to the point where they don't really have the instincts or skills to do well outside. I thought it might be a treat for him to get to go out on a leash, although he probably doesn't care much honestly.
  • stephaniemoreno1
    stephaniemoreno1 Posts: 1 Member
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    Going to take her for a walk today!
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
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    BodyByButter wrote: »
    My cat is strictly indoor. He is a Ragdoll, and they have been (over?) bred to the point where they don't really have the instincts or skills to do well outside. I thought it might be a treat for him to get to go out on a leash, although he probably doesn't care much honestly.

    Ragdolls were developed to be like that. The originator of the breed wanted a cat that was large, kind of floppy, and claimed that they were resistant to pain. Not terrific survival skills, but awesome if you want a ragdoll for a cat.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    BodyByButter wrote: »
    I was thinking about walking my cat but somehow I don't think that will involve much walking.

    A shelter here justed promoted a cat who actually loves being walked on a leash! Hes so cute.

    My gram would put her Maine Coon in a cage outside so she could enjoy the sun and eat grass. And with her current cats, she's put a fence up on the deck and the cats hang out out there
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    Nope but they are ready to go out back and run. We let them out but they have a path through the snow and it's not the same.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
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    LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »
    BodyByButter wrote: »
    My cat is strictly indoor. He is a Ragdoll, and they have been (over?) bred to the point where they don't really have the instincts or skills to do well outside. I thought it might be a treat for him to get to go out on a leash, although he probably doesn't care much honestly.

    Ragdolls were developed to be like that. The originator of the breed wanted a cat that was large, kind of floppy, and claimed that they were resistant to pain. Not terrific survival skills, but awesome if you want a ragdoll for a cat.

    I adore this cat. I work from home so I'm with him all the time, and he is the absolute sweetest and most loving cat I have ever encountered.

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    1mum- I'm pretty against purchasing designer breeds (vs. rescue or pound dogs) but I might have to break my own rule one day because I would love a golden doodle! There is one up the street and I drool when he frolics by!
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
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    WalkingAlong wrote: »
    1mum- I'm pretty against purchasing designer breeds (vs. rescue or pound dogs) but I might have to break my own rule one day because I would love a golden doodle! There is one up the street and I drool when he frolics by!

    We got the best of both worlds. Adopted through the Humane Society, purebred. We even got to meet the prior owner.

  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
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    BodyByButter wrote: »
    LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »
    BodyByButter wrote: »
    My cat is strictly indoor. He is a Ragdoll, and they have been (over?) bred to the point where they don't really have the instincts or skills to do well outside. I thought it might be a treat for him to get to go out on a leash, although he probably doesn't care much honestly.

    Ragdolls were developed to be like that. The originator of the breed wanted a cat that was large, kind of floppy, and claimed that they were resistant to pain. Not terrific survival skills, but awesome if you want a ragdoll for a cat.

    I adore this cat. I work from home so I'm with him all the time, and he is the absolute sweetest and most loving cat I have ever encountered.

    They do sound like terrific cats. I've met a couple and found them to be sweet and loving, although I loved my athletic Abyssinians more. I mean no judgment against the cats--I just think the breed originator was loony tunes.

    By the way, I had a great cat we named Mistoffelees. Misto would walk on a leash, a talent he learned when I moved from Georgia to Texas and he had to potty on the trip. Cats are awesome and more talented than people think.

  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    Forty6and2 wrote: »
    I don't have a dog to walk but I do have cats!

    c9uwswwnrdup.jpg
    gbix8h47jfo1.jpg

    I had cats most of my adult life and never thought of walking them. They were strictly indoor cats, however.

    Both of my cats are indoor cats too but the brown one loves going outside and so does the grey one in my profile picture. My other two cats aren't fans though, lol
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    stephaniemoreno1 wrote: »
    Going to take her for a walk today!
    Love the pig outfit!

  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    BodyByButter wrote: »
    WalkingAlong wrote: »
    1mum- I'm pretty against purchasing designer breeds (vs. rescue or pound dogs) but I might have to break my own rule one day because I would love a golden doodle! There is one up the street and I drool when he frolics by!

    We got the best of both worlds. Adopted through the Humane Society, purebred. We even got to meet the prior owner.
    You lucky ducky. Ragdolls are just great.

    I had a tabby mutt up until a few years ago. I'd like to adopt a new kitkat as soon as I feel financially comfortable. :)

  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I want a dog.
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Dogs rule.

    I'm hitting golf balls down the hill to the field for my dog to run back up right now. He's obsessed with it, he starts dropping balls at my feet right when I wake up. I didn't feel like it this morning, I was blowing him off and he dropped one in my coffee cup!!

    It's nice we have the room to run him around here when I don't feel like going out, but nothing beats going out for a walk and sniffing around and peeing on things (doggy facebook). Im in California so weather hasn't been an issue. I got him initially to make walks more fun, lol ;)

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