Does having a dog make/keep you more active?

ashtoncm394 wrote: »

Rachel0778 wrote: »

It definitely depends on what kind of dog you get. I have a pit bull and they are active and tenacious! If we don't get out for a walk or play ball in a timely manner he will bounce in front of me, run laps around me, drop his ball in my lap repeatedly, etc. until he gets to go burn off some energy. It's pretty hilarious to watch and definitely makes sure that I go for a walk with him!

I have a pitbull too! She needs her walk and play time. I have a dog back pack I put on her when we walk to give her some more "work" to do and burn off the energy.

I agree it depends on the breed. Pit bulls like to work and move forward so they are great for walks and running. However if you (OP) haven't chosen the type of dog you're getting yet you have to keep in mind that dogs like that are also high maintenance and require a big commitment.

Great idea with the back pack! I'm going to have to hunt one of those down for Chance. Thanks!

I say start practicing now as a family. My family got a dog in hopes we'd take family walks too, but never had and maybe went on 1-2 before my father took over and he is the only one who walks her. Mind you I was 17 at the time and could absolutely not be bothered to do anything with my parents. I'd walk her on my own on weekends. It's not going to magically make things happen, I'd start those habits as a family NOW. I wish my family had been active together all my life.

Wow you guys and gals are lucky! My dog hasn't made me active at al. All he's done is get me a bunch of girls, ughhh, so annoying!

I've got the best running motivation ever when we got our Golden. He's very active, and Loves.. LOVES... His runs. I can't go without him tearing things up. Before you take on a dog, make sure you understand the breed and the activity level. Also take some time to make sure you leash train it so they don't end up dragging you around. My buddy Zeke is friendly and always wants to visit with whomever we meet along the way. Do some training first though. They are fantastic motivation to go outside, but don't get a furbaby unless you are ready to put in the time with them.

Chelsea driving. Herding breeds are very smart

My dog definitely made me walk a lot more and I haven't gotten sick once since she moved in.
Just keep in mind a puppy will not immediately need long walks, discovering the world around them slowly will be more important for the first few months. That includes standing in the pouring rain for 15 minutes until puppy decides it's safe enough to go potty.

kshama2001 wrote: »

Working dog breeds often have behavior issues when they don't get enough activity so do plan to commit to giving them that.

Same goes for too much activity. Even a Border Collie working with a shepherd needs to learn to relax, since they are "unemployed" for months during winter.

Yes, absolutely! Owning a dog is a commitment and part of that is keeping him or her healthy! Walks are a necessary part of that, and they keep you healthy and active too. There are a few minor exceptions (awful weather, sickness, etc.) but I get my dog out for a minimum of two 30 minute walks per day (usually much longer) and other bathroom breaks. I use the Runkeeper App on my phone as both a reminder and proof to give her the time she deserves.

Francl27 wrote: »

This is mine a couple years ago (he's almost 11 now). Unfortunately he HATES dogs (we tried to fix it.. but he was abandoned at 4 weeks in a shelter and I guess he got traumatized or something) so walking him is just too stressful for me (he pulled the leash out once and lunged at another dog and we had to pay $800 in vet bills).



We got our first dog because I wanted a dog to go on walks with, but he was impossible on the leash and our neighborhood sucked for walks... but still, it got me out more for sure, and we discovered some nice parks... I miss having a nice dog I can walk without stressing out!

My sister got an Australian Shepherd and started flyball with him, so yeah, it can really make you more active if you're into that!

My husky was a rescue dog and was TERRIBLE on the leash at first (oh my could he pull) but with a lot of patience and practice, we overcame that.

mommazach wrote: »

I've got the best running motivation ever when we got our Golden. He's very active, and Loves.. LOVES... His runs. I can't go without him tearing things up. Before you take on a dog, make sure you understand the breed and the activity level. Also take some time to make sure you leash train it so they don't end up dragging you around. My buddy Zeke is friendly and always wants to visit with whomever we meet along the way. Do some training first though. They are fantastic motivation to go outside, but don't get a furbaby unless you are ready to put in the time with them.

I totally agree with this. I joke that my golden retriever as a puppy was more stressful than my twins... and I'm not actually kidding. It was HORRIBLE. He ate everything and peed and pooped everywhere. Then he got severe resource guarding issues and scared me to death at times and we ended up having to give him away to someone with more experience after he snapped at our toddlers after he stole one of their toys. He was great at basic training but anything more than that... ugh.

Our second puppy was easier because he took to potty training in no time but he still destroys a lot of things (my kids lost so many toys) and as I said above, he hates other dogs.

Honestly I'm not sure we'll ever have a dog again. If we did, it would probably be an adult rescue that is already potty trained (if I could even find a rescue that lets us adopt a dog after we gave one away) and is good with cats.