This guy helps me to work out

Get a dog.. IF you will truly love them until the end.. puppies get bought every year for christmas and then abandoned once they lose that tiny cuteness..

Getting steps is a bonus but please make sure this dog is getting a forever home.

My entire cardio is walking my collie

stormlover757 wrote: »

Want steps???...Want to stay active?? Get a dog..You will then have no choice but to stay active..Problem solved!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

No.

The only thing that can make you be/stay active, is if you choose to be/stay active. No one else. No 'thing' else.

Anecdote 1: I owned a Malamute/Husky crossbred mutt for 12.5 years. He went everywhere I did, every day, where he was allowed - no moral/ethical bankruptcy lying that he was a "service dog" when he wasn't. But I never walked him on a regular basis, ever, in his entire life. And he never had a weight problem unless my mother had to watch him for more than a few weeks due to assignments because she'd feed him entire plates of human food in addition to his normal food rations. I just do not "do" daily walks with the dogs I own. Maybe because I've always had a secure yard or acreage to let my dogs out to potty.

Anecdote 2: My dad does walk his dogs regularly despite have a secure acre for them to roam if they want. For approximately 2.5 miles in a loop around his rural neighborhood. Every day in fact, barring conditions too icy to walk even with traction devices. Sometimes, twice even. Dog parks on the regular to chase a Chuckit! ball over grass instead of dirt/mud. Yeah, they both had to be put on a reducing diet earlier this year; her to go from a clinically obese 56 lbs to 46 lbs and him from a clinically obese 73 lbs to 55 lbs.

By the way, the current state of companion dog/cat obesity in the US: https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160615o.aspx

I feel like the OP wasn’t saying, “buy a dog you will hate and someday abuse so you can walk more now”. I read it as a bit of fun and good on you OP for being a responsible pet owner who walks their dog! My four (dear god I did say four but what do you do when you marry a man who also has two?) are too lazy to be bothered with much exercise but I bet all of us would be in better shape if I started walking them!

My dog is sincerely awesome - we go running on the trails for hours together.... but I would have done that running with or without him. He’s just good for companionship and extra protection when out alone in the woods.

He’s not my motivation to run, though ... except for maybe the occasional sprints in the field across the way like goofy idiots. Yes, my BFF is a dog. I’m okay with that.

My mum's in her early eighties and pretty much stopped walking after she had to put down her beloved old dog. She couldn't bring herself to go looking for a new dog either. I looked and looked on rescue websites, made enquiries and kept sending pics to her (she lives in another state). After months of searching, a rescue place said, "we think we have the dog for your mum". They even brought him out to Mum's home for the meet and greet. He is perfect. It was love at first sight and she adores him.

And the result (as I was hoping for) is that Mum is back to her daily walks. It's great for her physical and mental health. For some people, yes, the dog is definitely the motivation. It is for my mum. Of course, as others have said, responsible pet ownership should be the first priority. But I would think that the owners taking the time to exercise their dogs are usually not the ones to worry about.

OP, your dog is adorable. I love black dogs.

crazykatlady820 wrote: »

The dog I adopted doesn't know how to dog. He's old and has no fur on his entire back half. No one wanted him and he was about to be put down. He isn't energetic, he doesn't play with toys or chase squirrels (but he'll "chase" a tortoise like nobody's business), he won't go on walks, he doesn't do much of anything aside from sleep. But he's the best dog that doesn't know how to dog ever and I don't know why anyone wouldn't want him. He's not a good exercise companion, but he's a great life companion (during the 2 or 3 hours a day that he musters up the energy to mosey on into the living room and out of his cozy sleeping spot.). I pretty much just wanted to talk about my dog that's probably really a sloth.

This post made me chuckle. Then I read your screen name. Then my chuckle was out loud. Awesome.

suzannesimmons3 wrote: »

Walk a rescue....plenty of shelters need walkers....win win.

Absolutely! If you do not want all of the responsibility that come with being a dog owner...do this!

Christine_72 wrote: »

grinning_chick wrote: »

maggibailey wrote: »

I read it as a bit of fun and good on you OP for being a responsible pet owner who walks their dog! My four (dear god I did say four but what do you do when you marry a man who also has two?) are too lazy to be bothered with much exercise but I bet all of us would be in better shape if I started walking them!

Walking a dog has no bearing on whether a person is a responsible owner or not.

I vehemently disagree!!! If someone couldn't be bothered taking their dog out for exercise everyday, which is both physical AND mental stimulation for them then i would advise getting a cat or goldfish... Because a dog is not the right pet/companion for people like that.

Playing fetch in the backyard isn't good enough! A bored dog is not a happy dog.

I completely agree. My dog is a highly energetic hound. We have a large fenced in yard that she run around in. However, nothing excites her like the mere mention of a walk. We walk her 2-3 times a day because she need to satisfy that natural instinct for following a scent. She hardly sniffs at all when she is in the yard but once she is outside the gate, that nose never leaves the ground. As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to make sure your dog is able to do what it was meant to do, IMO.