How Often Do You Walk Your Grey?

[RobinM]

We walk 2-3 times a day, every day (except Polli). We walk the way they want to walk. The walk is for them.

[45MPHK9]

fish swim, birds fly, dogs walk. we believe that it's important to walk your dogs everyday. it's what they do.

[Guest thedoghouse]

I cannot believe that anyone walks their dog less than once a day! I think that, unless the dog in question is unable to walk because it is ill or injured, this is inexcusable. Dogs NEED to walk. I walk my 2 at least twice a day, every day, regardless of the weather or how busy I am with other stuff. If I can't do it I ensure someone else does.

 

The M&M's are my distance running partners, and we go at least 5 miles of structured running every day. We go out every morning and every evening, rain or shine. Magnus lives for our runs, almost as if it's his job, as he takes it very serious, and leads the way and knows the courses. I swear that he smiles and is at his happiest during these runs. Maggie just follows and get her exersize. We don't stop and mess around while running. However, we also have a 1/2 mile cool down walk when we are done, and that's when they are free to roam and sniff stuff and pee everywhere.

 

So pleased to hear of others who run with their greys! I have been taking my two with me on runs up to 5K for almost a year now & they love it. I don't think it's a substitute for a walk (which involves sniffing & marking etc.) but it's a great activity that we can enjoy together. Of course, it's not exactly running for them - more, 'trotting'!

[Gryffenne]

I walk my 2 at least twice a day, every day, regardless of the weather

Here in northern MI right by the lake, there are some winter days where it is flat out not safe to be outside more than a few minutes. Unless you want to line the muzzle with Thinsulate, get ski goggles on the dog, cover every inch of thin fur/bald spots securely (this includes bellies, thighs... well all 4 legs from toe to shoulder/hip) because the windchill is so frigid that it is not safe to breathe unprotected very long, you need to protect your eyes and nose, and frostbite can set in rather quick.

 

So unfortunately for safety/comfort reasons, there are a handful of days in the winter that there are zero walks. Just bundle up, go potty and get back in.

 

Other than that, 2 walks a day minimum. I love spring and summer, when it's warm, first thing in the morning before everyone wakes up So quiet and serene.

[Guest thedoghouse]

I walk my 2 at least twice a day, every day, regardless of the weather

Here in northern MI right by the lake, there are some winter days where it is flat out not safe to be outside more than a few minutes. Unless you want to line the muzzle with Thinsulate, get ski goggles on the dog, cover every inch of thin fur/bald spots securely (this includes bellies, thighs... well all 4 legs from toe to shoulder/hip) because the windchill is so frigid that it is not safe to breathe unprotected very long, you need to protect your eyes and nose, and frostbite can set in rather quick.

 

So unfortunately for safety/comfort reasons, there are a handful of days in the winter that there are zero walks. Just bundle up, go potty and get back in.

 

Other than that, 2 walks a day minimum. I love spring and summer, when it's warm, first thing in the morning before everyone wakes up So quiet and serene.

 

Gryffenne - totally understand. I agree in those conditions it would be irresponsible to walk a dog. I wasn't taking account of extreme weather conditions like that, which we are very fortunate not to encounter where I live. =)

[Guest RocketDog]

When schedules and weather permit, I like to do a long walk after work - usually 45-60 minutes. Daily zoomies galore in the yard, plus trips to the ballfield for warp-speed party time two or three times a week. During the warmer months we also attend LGRA sprint practices, plus weekend group walks with our adoption gang.

 

In the dead of winter, we don't walk much - even with coats, the dogs just don't want to be outside. This time of year, when the temps are in the 40-60 range, they'd walk all day, and I get out as much as I can with 'em.

[Fruitycake]

Winter means shorter, quicker walks. At least 3 a day of 15+ minutes each. I am (and Monty is too) greatly appreciating the warmer weather that is hinting and toying with the idea of becoming spring, because then we can go back to doing hour long walks in the mornings, nearly an hour in the afternoons and then a quick walk for just before bed (weekdays) and a couple of seriously long new territory "death marches" (hy husband's term) on the weekends that can last up to and over two hours. Monty loves those. It is definitely our bonding time (my husband doesn't participate, because we start early early early!).

 

Monty seems to hate going over the same territory over and over and over, so patrolling his "territory" does not seem to be in his nature. His mood just seems depressed when we're in the same place repeatedly. His attitude is a lot more enthusiastic when we start walking in new and exciting places, with new stuff to sniff and new people to walk by and new sights to see. When he pees, he lets it alllll go, except on the really long hikes where he'll dribble a little periodically late in the walk. Or fake it - he does that a lot. (No, really Monty, other dogs can't sniff a sidle. "Almost" doesn't count in the peeing game.)

 

We can't wait until real spring!

 

(edited because I can't type)

Edited March 14, 2009 by Fruitycake

[Guest Amy_Bee]

This was tough to answer. Gretchen gets four walks a day-- two longer and two shorter. The shortest one is literally up two blocks, back two blocks so she can do her business, because it's at night and Jersey City is kind of scary at night. The longest is probably 25-30 minutes, but I prefer to count distance because we walk fairly fast and this walk would take longer if we walked slowly. I try to get my heart rate up a bit. It's maybe a quarter-mile to a half-mile, but I'm terrible at judging these things.

 

I agree that exercise is important. When I cut down the distance because of bad weather or some unforeseen circumstance, I usually notice that she's got extra energy to expel.

[Guest fatesrelease]

We walk Sarah at least twice a day. The walks last about 30 minutes, or more. I walk at a decent pace and really don't let her stop, she get's to pee and poop in the yard. Walks are for her excersize, and for walking, not for breaks unless it's really nessesary.

Edited March 30, 2009 by fatesrelease

[Guest Capslock]

I didn't read every post here, but didn't see that anyone else uses a professional dog walker (it IS expensive as hell). I am single and work all day, so I have a professional dog walker come take my two greys on weekdays. They go with four other dogs, and he takes them to various dog parks, combining on-leash and off-leash time (in fenced parks). They are gone at least two hours every day. On weekends I take them out on good vigorous walks. My dogs are 12 and 6.5 years old, and they just love going out with the pack. They meet all kinds of other dogs every day, go different places and stay in good shape. Plus, they are totally socialized - they can hang around with any dogs which is a joy. I know they love their walks because they go nuts when the dog-walker comes and look so happy when they come home. On weekends, they start staring at me about 2 hours before walk time just to see if maybe I might be grabbing the leash. I just hope Otis stays in good enough shape to keep going with the pack, as he's a bit arthritic and aging, but so far he's still great and jumps in and out of the truck if you let him.

 

My "yard" is just a little dog run as I live in the city. It's just enough to relieve themselves, so the walks are when they get to see the world and meet people and dogs, which is their favorite thing in the world.

[vsrenard]

Zola doesn't seem to like walking. She droops after 5 min (for no good reason) and is excited to go home. But take her to the beach and she'll zoom around for hours. We live in an underdeveloped area with a sizable backyard. Zola runs back and forth in our yard chasing things she'll never catch (trust me ) throughout the day. She and I play in the mornnig and the evening, which involves some running, tug, donuts, and the like. We take her to the beach 1-2/week during the winter, 3-4/week during the summer. I'm sure she'd like nothing but to go to and from home to the beach several times a day but...

[Guest BillNY914]

Ben and I walk about 15-20 min in the morning for the potty course. When I first got him, I used to take him out TWICE before going to work... but that stopped after the first few months. He has a dog walker during the day who is supposed to be minimum of 20 min and max of 30 min. We go for the "longer" walk when I get home from work, usually 30-45 min. Then he gets one last turn out before bed...5-10 min. That is a M-F schedule. Weekends differ somewhat. I guess them hopping in the back of the car and riding around while I do errands doesn't count as "exercise", but we do a lot of that during the week and on weekends too, works as good as a good walk... he's down for the count when we get back home.

[Guest TexasGreytMom]

We have 1/2 an acre of fenced back lawn that our dogs run in several times a day, so we don't walk our dogs. We also have donkeys on our property (outside our lawn to protect our calves), so it's not safe to walk our dogs outside our lawn. They get lots of exercise running circles and figure 8's in our lawn.

[Guest Zoomom]

This is an interesting topic. When I got Melody she was really hyper and NEEDED to be exercised a lot. We walked at least an hour daily, played with her in the backyard all the time, and took her to the dog park at least once a week. Now, five years later, with her being 9 now and starting to calm down a little, things have varied with the weather, my work schedule, and our energy levels, but right now I don't have the time or stamina to walk her in short time between when I get home from work and when I go to bed. I let her out in the morning when I get up early and go to work, Walter pays attention to her and lets her out when he gets up later then me and also goes to work, and I let her out and play in the backyard for a few minutes while I pick up the poop when I get home from work. However, I feel like we make up for the "boring" work week on the weekends. I try to do something really fun and energetic with her at least one day of the weekend. We might play and run on the beach for two hours, hike for a couple of hours in reservations around us, go to the dog park all afternoon, go to some kind of pet fair, festival, or playdate, etc. Usually by Sunday night she is flopped on the couch completely zonked, and she doesn't show any interest in anything that takes any kind of energy until Tuesday or Wed.

[rebeccamcl]

I don't know how to vote for this. There's what I used to do (several walks) and what I do now (yard, dog parks).

 

When I lived in Wisconsin, in an apartment, I walked my dog several times every day. Due to a broken leg (cast removed by the time I got him), he limped after only a few minutes. I gradually increased the lenth of our walks to 1 1/2 - 2 hours every night!!! Good exercise for us both! About a year ago, the vet said I could start taking him to the off-leash dog parks. I still took him on about 3 - 4 short potty walks a day, but we also went to the park for an hour or two (or three on weekends). Madison has nice, large parks. He got a LOT of walking and some running in there.

 

I'm living with my sister in Virginia now. She has a small yard and he goes out for potty breaks several times a day. I still take him to the dog park almost every day, and someone (myself, sister or brother-in-law) walks him when we don't go to the park or beach. I really believe dogs need to get out of their own space and snif the neighborhood, or dog park. I love the dog park, because he can wander around at will and spend as much time sniffing an area or going back to it as often as he wants! On walks, I find myself urging him along or preventing him from going where the smells are more interesting (like someone's flower bed by their front door). Also at the dog park, he can take off and run if he likes. He plays well with others, and does not have a high prey drive, so he runs and plays well even with smaller dogs.

[Guest gennygrey]

We walk 4 times a day. 5:15a.m., 3:00p.m., 6:00p.m., and 9:00p.m. I like the exercise and so does my greys. I usually walk about 3 miles everyday. Recently it has been less because Shadow has a dropped thigh muscle and just had surgery. He is still recovering.

[Guest romeosrents]

We walk Romeo everyday at least once. In the winter it usually ends up only being one 15-20 minute walk. When the days get longer, we usually give him two 15 to 20 minute walks per day. One early in the morning and one either before or after dinner. On the weekends we go for much longer walks (about an hour) or we will do a 4 mile hike around the local lake. No matter what we do, we always get him some form of exercise physically or mentally!

[Guest carolxi]

I have different walking styles with Anubis. Thru the week when I'm working, he gets 20 mins about a hr after his breakfast.

In nice weather, we go for a 30-45 minute walk thru places where he can roam off leash for periods, when I get home from work. Sometimes he gets another walk in the evening in the summer, depending on my energy.

 

In the winter he only gets (and only wants) about 15 mins after work, plus the morning walk and a quickie in the evening.

 

On weekends, I'll power-walk with him. We don't stop much then, but he really likes it and he picks up the rhythm really quickly. We usually end up at an off-leash park, and he follows me. When he's tired, I run in small circles and he stands there watching me!

Anubis is lucky, he get a lot of off-leash time.

[Guest WhiteWave]

I try to walk nightly, but some nights we don't. So probably about 4 times a week. We also go hiking at least 2x a month.

 

I don't really leash walk. We have access to a pretty safe area that I can unleash the dogs. We walk to the area and then I let them go. It is 40 acres-mainly orange grove almost completely fenced or bordered by dense woods. The dogs (and cat) usually stay close and we move as a group around and explore! Then we leash up and walk home.

 

My yard is also big enough for a greyhound to reach full speed in and Ronon runs around it several times a day at full speed usually with Ripley my Amstaff behind him.

 

When we go hiking, it is leashed and we go anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the trail. We walk at a fast pace with little stopping.

[JaneW]

Oops, I clicked total daily walk time, not time for each walk, sorry! Each walk time varies but adds up to about 45 mins. per day (2 miles). I walk her every day twice a day no matter what, though adverse weather does affect total time. Greta can't handle much heat and humidity. She also gets to race around the yard like crazy every day, which tires her out much more effectively than any amount of walking.

[Guest moniques_zoo]

I have 3 high energy dogs who loves the outdoors. 2 jacks and my new grey - Talon. She seems to be even better behaved since last week because of the 2 walks a day. Really depends on the weather as well. Our morning walks are just her and I and evening is for the whole family. We have an acre parcle in the back not completely fenced yet so that really forces us to do the leash walk. We have a fenced area that is a outdoor basket ball court that we take them all too. Bring some tennis balls and away we go. We chase them, they chase us. I totally believe leash time is great for bonding and trust with your beast but sometimes dogs need to be dogs and do dog stuff we just don't understand. We are still with them so I guess that is bonding as well. What I don't understand are those who have critters at home and they don't walk at all. Even my old jack who is 12 goes for long walks. Takes awhile but she still loves the freedom.

[Guest Parsniptoast]

I walk Reggie before breakfast for 20-30 minutes and then for about 60 minutes in the evening both is mostly off leash. We've just had a brief warm spell and so our evening walk was from about 8.30 at night although he has a back garden to run and play in all day. Reggie's still learning about playing though and mostly he just likes to sit and chew his bone or sleep in the sun when we're not throwing a ball or training.

Today though, when the rain is steadily pouring in fat steady drops he dug his heels in and refused to go out the back door. (He actually went to put his foot out and then looked at me as if I was bonkers!) After a bit of a tug he reluctantly went out and we walked round the corner. He did his business and then absolutely refused to go anywhere else but home.

 

So we came back :-) He walked a lot faster going home than we did going out!

 

If it rains like this all day I can't see him being bothered about a walk but no one could say that I didn't offer it to him!!

 

 

[Guest ProfoundLove]

Sylvie & I walk 2 miles per day. Walking is the highlight of her day. She LOVES it. She loves getting out of the house and socializing with the local kids. It's great for us both physically and mentally. Walking is bonding time for us as well. I don't walk her on when it's raining or freezing, and on those days she looks so bored.

[LaFlaca]

Wendy has free access to a large, fenced-in yard where she is able to potty and/or run. She has made a pretty good 'track' back there for herself!

 

However, I feel it is just as important to take her for a walk every day, weather permitting. We take leisurely strolls every evening before dinner or a couple of hours after. More than exercise, I view our walks as bonding time and enrichment for Wendy as she experiences new scents & sounds apart from our yard. We walk in the neighborhood or sometimes we pile into the car and drive to a park or even just several blocks away for a change of pace.

[tra708]

we walk our girl 2x a day for a 20-30min walk. the other times, we'll have short pee breaks in our small backyard. sometimes she'll zoom back and forth a couple of times during that. is there something wrong with letting her stop and sniff whatever she wants on our walks? i thought that's what they like to do.