I sometimes see posts on social media that something along the lines of “if you don’t walk your dog everyday you’re a bad owner!!!!” and I want to amend this statement:
Dogs need age appropriate stimulation every day.
I like this statement much more than “walk your dog every day or else!!!” for a couple reasons:
1. Life happens. There are days where you won’t be able to walk your dog. Maybe it’s the weather, or the safety of the area you’re in, an injury, or you just got home from work really late and now have 3 kids you need to feed, bathe, and get ready for bed. Anyone who says they’ve never had to forgo a walk for their dog is lying.
2. Walking is great exercise and enrichment for both dogs and people, but the quality varies. A brisk walk non-stop with no chances to sniff? Not as enriching. A quick walk around the block? Of course better than nothing but not necessarily enough. Is a 2 year old border collie going to be satisfied by a walk around the block? Probably not. A 12 year old arthritic lab? Probably. Different breeds and different ages need different types of stimulation. An 8 week old puppy shouldn’t be taken on a strenuous hike anymore than that senior dog with joint pain.
3. You should only do what you can maintain. If your dog learns that they will get a 3 mile run every day, guess what they will expect every day, even in the middle of winter? If you’re the kind of person that can manage that every day out of the year, great! But just based on the climate of my area alone I know that there will be days that are either too hot or too cold to walk, let alone rainstorms, blizzards, and even tornadoes. I want my dog to learn that there are other productive ways to burn energy for the days when I can’t walk him.
I don’t want people to take this as an excuse to not provide enrichment/exercise for their dogs, I just want to manage expectations and stop some of the ridiculous shaming. No joke I saw a post on Facebook saying that if you didn’t walk your dog EVERY SINGLE DAY you shouldn’t have one. That’s just not realistic. Weather happens. Life happens. You can be the best owner in the world and some days it just won’t happen. It also sets owners up for failure, because their husky is still tearing up the house despite being walked every day. Or, people literally go up and down the street and think that’s enough (again, better than nothing but doing that every single day really doesn’t do much for your dog).
So instead, let’s focus on encouraging people to stimulate their dogs every day, because that’s better for everyone. So what does that mean? Walks are of course on that list! Letting dogs sniff around on walks provides great enrichment and actually burns more energy. And on the days you can’t walk or just want to mix things up? Puzzle toys, training, scent enrichment, play time with a friendly dog, fetch in the backyard, sports classes, hide and seek, kiddie pools in the summer, snow sculptures or mazes in the winter, piles of leaves in the fall, a trip to a pet friendly restaurant or store, frozen treats, stuffed Kongs, at home agility courses, box forts, and so much more. There are so many options besides “walk” that can be incredibly stimulating for your dog!
There are some days when you won’t do enough, or at least you feel like you won’t do enough. I am a firm believer that you shouldn’t get an animal if you can’t provide for its basic needs, and that includes enrichment! But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad owner for being an imperfect human. You will have bad days. Whether it’s mental or physical health, bad luck, work, weather, or other circumstances, it will happen. Do your best, be realistic about your pet’s needs, and ask for help if you need it. Hire a dog walking service or consider an appropriate doggy daycare. Join a training class. Work toward a trick dog/do more with your dog title for fun. Not being perfect doesn’t mean you’re a bad owner, it just means you’re human.
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