Taking your dog for a walk
Yesterday, we had some pretty nasty weather: wind, rain, cold - you know the kind of day I mean! And this was all day. So it got us thinking: Do you REALLY have to walk your dog every single day? š¤š§ļø Short answer: no. Long answer: itās a lot more nuanced than the internet would have you believe. We hear ādogs must be walked dailyā so often it feels like a moral obligation. But if weāre honest, it doesnāt always line up with reality ā especially on days like yesterday when itās cold, wet, stormy and miserable. Hereās the thing: šŗ In the wild, dogsā ancestors absolutely conserved energy. In bad weather or tough conditions, they rested. They didnāt force themselves out for a ānon-negotiable daily walkā. š Modern dogs arenāt wolves anyway. Many breeds were designed for short bursts of activity, companionship, or hanging around humans most of the day, not endurance hikes in sideways rain. š¶āāļø Walks arenāt sacred: needs are. Walks are just one way to meet: - Physical exercise - Mental stimulation - Emotional wellbeing If those needs are met in other ways, skipping a walk now and then is completely fine. š§ļø When itās absolutely okay to skip a walk - The weather is grim or unsafe - Your dog is tired, older, sore, or unwell - You swap the walk for enrichment at home - Your dog is generally well exercised across the week Dogs donāt keep score. They donāt know itās āday 173 of walking streaks.ā They know whether they feel settled. š Great alternatives on miserable days - Sniff games & scatter feeding - Short training sessions (10 mins can exhaust a brain) - Tug, hide & seek, hallway fetch - Chews, lick mats, frozen Kongs - And yes⦠sleep (rest is biologically normal) š¾ Breed, age & personality matter A working-line collie is different to a greyhound, which is different to a senior spaniel, which is different to a companion breed. Some dogs genuinely need daily physical outlets. Others are perfectly happy missing a day and snoozing through a storm.