Fairweather Dog Walkers

joansgirl

Is it just me? Every year, as soon as there's a bit of nice weather, everybody is out with their dogs. You don't see these dogs for the rest of the year, just a couple of times in the summer. What happens to them in the winter then? I know a lot of people with dogs and there aren't that many that walk their dogs whatever the weather is doing. I feel sorry for these poor beasties, shut away indoors unless the sun shines. The owners should be ashamed of themselves.

con1888

Loads around here too. I much prefer a fair weather walk but regardless, I get on the walking boots and take my dog out, he would go stir crazy otherwise !!

There's some people around here also who NEVER walk their dogs, usually small dogs and all they see of the outside world is the garden, how sad

Tygermoth

I bet if you asked my neighbours they would think i never walk the dog.

They would be wrong, we are up and out before its light and out in the evening when its dark. At the weekend we go out for HUGE walks but leave in the car..

Now the weathers better they would be mistaken in thinking i only walk my dog when its sunny (like today)

krlyr

Tygermoth wrote: »

I bet if you asked my neighbours they would think i never walk the dog.

They would be wrong, we are up and out before its light and out in the evening when its dark. At the weekend we go out for HUGE walks but leave in the car..

Now the weathers better they would be mistaken in thinking i only walk my dog when its sunny (like today)

Yup, I wouldn't be too quick to assume. I lived down a private farm track lane previously, just two houses, both with 2 big dogs each. In the years I lived there, I can count on one hand the amount of times we bumped into each other dog walking. And probably only a dozen times I bumped into other people, unless I ventured off elsewhere for walks. That doesn't mean that neither of us did it, but the times just varied. Being a SAHM, the neighbour most likely walked hers during the day, I walked mine before and after work but as I worked 8-4 I'd probably be an hour early than most other local working dog owners.

Even where I am now, there's no guarantee that my neighbours would necessarily see me walking the dogs that often. We have fields at the back of the house, so sometimes I just nip down our access alley straight onto the fields - unless they saw us for the 30 seconds from front door to alley, they wouldn't know (once we fit a gate in the garden, there won't even be that chance). Or I pop the dogs in the car and we go off elsewhere, or again, the whole working hours thing.

I have no doubt there are plenty of fair weather walkers - I know my OH would be one if it was left up to him! - but I wouldn't assume they all are.

Person_one

con1888 wrote: »

Loads around here too. I much prefer a fair weather walk but regardless, I get on the walking boots and take my dog out, he would go stir crazy otherwise !!

There's some people around here also who NEVER walk their dogs, usually small dogs and all they see of the outside world is the garden, how sad

In a lot of ways I prefer walking mine when the weather's rubbish and its muddy everywhere. It means we're not constantly dodging kids, bikes, unsocialised dogs and they can spend far more time off their leads having a good run.

(This is despite the fact that they're small dogs, watch the generalisation there please!)

Paradigm

This "fairweather" malarky does have a lot going for it to be honest.

No getting up at 6am to the sound of rain beating the windows, putting the first of three sets of clothing on. No opening the door at 6.30 to be instantly soaked & being dragged out by two dogs who haven't even noticed it's peeing down.

No getting home drowned with two dogs who manage to soak up more water than doggily possible & are intent to share said water with as much of the house as is possible.

No changing clothes/getting dry ready for work.

No going to work watching the weather all day, knowing that it's pretty much certain it'll still be peeing down & the evening walk is basically a repeat of earlier!

Fairweather walking sounds good to me, how do I convince the dogs?

zaxdog

Try having a lurcher

Getting him out in bad weather is IMPOSSIBLE, I would have to carry him thus negating any benefit from a walk. Even to get him out of the house for a pee in the rain means pushing him into the garden by the bum!

Merry_Wanderer

zaxdog wrote: »

Try having a lurcher

Getting him out in bad weather is IMPOSSIBLE, I would have to carry him thus negating any benefit from a walk. Even to get him out of the house for a pee in the rain means pushing him into the garden by the bum!

hehe mine is like that

chucknorris

joansgirl wrote: »

I know a lot of people with dogs and there aren't that many that walk their dogs whatever the weather is doing. I feel sorry for these poor beasties, shut away indoors unless the sun shines. The owners should be ashamed of themselves.

If it is raining I will only take him out for a quick 15 mins off lead walk in our nearby sports field and wait to see if it stops to later take him out for a proper walk. I don't see the point in going out in the rain if you can work around it. Fair enough it results in him only getting out for about an hour a day in the winter on a bad weather day, but that is off lead, so it is a good quality walk. In the summer he averages well over 2 hours a day. Take today for example this morning he went running with me for about 50 mins off lead on Holmwood Common and we have just got back from this afternoon's outing which was cycling off road on the North Downs Way. He will get another walk before he goes to sleep at about 9 pm.


So you are far less likely to see me walking him in the rain than when it is sunny, but I don't feel ashamed at all, as far as I am concerned he comes first. But in the winter I do try and take him out when the weather is better when possible. But whatever the weather he comes out with me off lead when I run and cycle and that is about 30-50 miles a week and that is on top of his normal walks with my wife and I.

lostinrates

We do different walks in summer to winter certainly. And weekends to week days. Doesn't mean the dogs don't go out in all weathers. (Even the two I have to force out). My grey does go on strike in some weather and stay in the yard and areas close to home on weekdays while the other two will usually go further. In the very heavy rain none of mine would tramp around the wet fields and tbh, I cannot blame them. The grey and the old girl were mail ly happy to potter around the yard with me, getting fresh air and time outside, and shorter trips out. And we spent some extra time playing in the farmyard and horse yard (them together with stimulation from people where necessary.) The younger one is thankfully easier to exercise and stimulate with a ball so we spent more time working on games like fetch, this weekend we moved his agility poles (very jokey home games) into the back garden from an otherwise unused barn where lots of games have been played while try have declines wetter walks.

Every day we do things like check field boundaries and water mangers, But when it was too wet for animals to be out these were unnecessary tasks. I did march across to check ground in different places but the dogs were not all willing to join me. Tbh, I'd rather that than something pulled in bad mud anyway.

lostinrates

zaxdog wrote: »

Try having a lurcher

Getting him out in bad weather is IMPOSSIBLE, I would have to carry him thus negating any benefit from a walk. Even to get him out of the house for a pee in the rain means pushing him into the garden by the bum!

I have three dogs, one will go out in almost all weather, one is a lift out type, and one is half way in between. On the mornings when we are in the yard the grey tends to loiter in tha barn in the worst weather. The oldest, most stoic, is the one who needs least exercise, so just pottering around with me is enough, and the middle attitude to weather is the one I described as easiest to otherwise stimulate.....games, mousing, 'jumping' around things in the hay barn, anything physical that is exercise. Probably more stimulating that just marching him out because I 'should'.

I like the just marching out, but with varying physical reliability its better for me to stay on dry safe ground. What I did also do with him this year was take ip him into more villages and towns, not something my dogs usually do a lot of, because I benefits from the walking! and I think it was stimulating for him too! the different environment. Though I'm glad the ground is drying up for our favourite walks now.