Dogs hardly walked this month.

[Tannedbaldhead]

Partner and myself have both been hammered with a flulike virus followed by a stinker of a cold, a residual cough and now a 48 hour vomiting virus.

The poor bloody dogs (two springers) have hardly had a walk all month. I thought they'd be climbing the walls but both seem to be taking it in their stride.

Am looking forward to getting back on my feet and taking the gruesome twosome out for the best part of an hour when I get back from work and a monster trek up the hills or on the beach at the weekend.

Starting to think these walks are more for my benefit rather than the dogs' and wonder how little exercise I'd get away with whilst still having healthy happy dogs if I was a lazy bugger.

[bexVN]

For some dogs lack of exercise can drive them to destruction, especially if they are not stimulated in other ways or if they went from lots and lots to barely any or puppies.

However many dogs adapt to the surroundings they are given and cope/accept it well.

Our first whippet had to be house rested for 6 weeks after injury. I was worried but he was absolutely fine, in fact I worried he was not going to enjoy his walks again but of course he did.

My current two whippets are very adaptable and they two had to go several days with no walks, no problems to speak of except the younger one did get a bit more excitable.

For health though I would say regular consistent exercise is better for them long term.

[R E S T E C P]

Previously had a German Shepherd who had a bad back injury at age 2, and was under vets orders not to go on any walks for several months. She even had to get crated so she wouldn't move too much within the house. She was 100% fine, no change in personality and with slightly reduced feeds she stayed slim.

We now have a Lab and a Border Collie, both pets but from working lines. Usually get 2 walks and a long off-lead run at a local park every day, but there are times when it's not possible.

Lab will happily laze around endlessly. Just give him somewhere quiet/comfortable to lie and you'll barely know he exists. He does get very excited for his walks but equally loves peace and comfort.

If the Collie misses a single walk he becomes destructive. At times when we haven't been able to walk him quite as much we've had to remove anything breakable/chewable and take away all his toys - but then he just starts chewing his fur and obsessively drinking water.

So... depends on the dog.

[Unexpected Item In Bagging Area]

Although it sounds as though your dogs are perfectly happy, why not employ a dog walker to take them out while you're still out of action? They'd enjoy it I'm sure.

[jelevents]

Unexpected Item In Bagging Area said:

Although it sounds as though your dogs are perfectly happy, why not employ a dog walker to take them out while you're still out of action? They'd enjoy it I'm sure.

Well I would offer my services but just seen op is in Scotland,bit far for me
But seriously they should still be getting walked daily, or at least substitute with some other activity like some training exercise which will give them a mental workout at least.
Hopefully you will be back on your feet and normality resumes.

[S10GTA]

With respect, you've not been too ill to walk your dogs. Cough/cold? Man up and get out there. The fresh air will do you good.

Poor bloody dogs.

[Tannedbaldhead]

S10GTA said:

With respect, you've not been too ill to walk your dogs. Cough/cold? Man up and get out there. The fresh air will do you good.

Poor bloody dogs.

I wish. The flulike virus was a beast. Both of us were floored and three weeks on still washed out. The vomiting virus was the icing on the cake.

The dogs are taken in my car each day to some grassland nearby for a wee run out and crash through the bushes (it's a springer thing). It's better than nothing but nowhere near the exercise they are used to.

Wonder if the reason they don't seem phased is due to their age (eight and eleven)

[otolith]

My dog starts to be a massive pain in the arse if he's overdue a walk. Which then means I have to make him pack it in before I can take him out, because I don't want to reward the behaviour. Doesn't matter how much of a walk he gets, though. He normally gets a little under 3 miles, but a walk round the block and he's happy.

[TwistingMyMelon]

My collie (of all dogs) doesn't mind skipping walks and will laze around and just sit curled up all day!

My terrier turns into even more of a little st if he doesn't get his 3 walksa day!!

Ironically the terrier doesn't even make the most of the walks like the collie does!

[chrisga]

Our 2 very fit working springers, working cocker and a collie get walked when we can. We purposely do it at different times of the day. As there is no set routine they don't seem to expect walks, unlike when they start demanding their food at about the same time everyday. Don't get me wrong they REALLY enjoy their walks but if they don't get walked they take it in their stride and are happy to laze around the house on the sofa or in front of the fire.

They are kept mentally stimulated, often with a lot of clicker/agility/gundog training though so perhaps that helps.

[briangriffin]

Tried explaining this to the missus today that the reason they misbehave sometimes is lack of a walk.

Our Cockapoo demonstrated this perfectly today when he got into a bag of presents she'd left in a spare room and tore some open, strangely he only fully tore open the toy which was for him and did the same tonight with one under the tree (not sure how he knows its for him haha). Apparently is my fault somehow when i point out that a) she promised to take him out today and b) i've told her umpteen times not to leave things within his reach.

incidentally one of the presents he also got into was a terry's chocolate orange, he seems fine but how much chocolate would you be concerned about for a small dog?

[moorx]

briangriffin said:

incidentally one of the presents he also got into was a terry's chocolate orange, he seems fine but how much chocolate would you be concerned about for a small dog?

Very little can be dangerous

http://veterinaryclinic.com/chocolate/calc.html

[bexVN]

briangriffin said:

Tried explaining this to the missus today that the reason they misbehave sometimes is lack of a walk.

Our Cockapoo demonstrated this perfectly today when he got into a bag of presents she'd left in a spare room and tore some open, strangely he only fully tore open the toy which was for him and did the same tonight with one under the tree (not sure how he knows its for him haha). Apparently is my fault somehow when i point out that a) she promised to take him out today and b) i've told her umpteen times not to leave things within his reach.

incidentally one of the presents he also got into was a terry's chocolate orange, he seems fine but how much chocolate would you be concerned about for a small dog?

That would have been classed as enough to have enough warranted a trip to the vets to make him sick tbh. When did it happen?

I would read up on chocolate toxicity in case he displays signs. Shaking, vomiting, hyper behaviour (caused by increased heart rate due to the chocolate) are some of them. Milk chocolate is usually better tolerated than if it had been dark chocolate.

Edited by bexVN on Tuesday 20th December 22:10

[R E S T E C P]

briangriffin said:

incidentally one of the presents he also got into was a terry's chocolate orange, he seems fine but how much chocolate would you be concerned about for a small dog?

Depends a lot on the darkness of the chocolate. White chocolate is fine in large amounts, milk chocolate not too bad, dark chocolate can be bad in small amounts. I'm not sure what a chocolate orange would be.

If he's small and ate the whole thing, I would take him to an emergency vet as a precaution. IIRC the dog acting hyper can be a signal that something's not right.

[bexVN]

R E S T E C P said:

briangriffin said:

incidentally one of the presents he also got into was a terry's chocolate orange, he seems fine but how much chocolate would you be concerned about for a small dog?

Depends a lot on the darkness of the chocolate. White chocolate is fine in large amounts, milk chocolate not too bad, dark chocolate can be bad in small amounts. I'm not sure what a chocolate orange would be.

If he's small and ate the whole thing, I would take him to an emergency vet as a precaution. IIRC the dog acting hyper can be a signal that something's not right.

Some white chocolate has theobromine added to it these days so we no longer assume white chocolate is safe unfortunately.

[briangriffin]

sorry for taking a while to get back, im working so not with him but the missus has said he seems ok. he was sulking a little when i left for work having been told off by the missus. he was under the tree taking his presents after that though so obviously fine and forgotten all about his telling off.

The missus will be having a telling off in the morning though as im fed up of telling her to stop leaving things he shouldn't have where he can get them!

thanks for the advice guys

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Tannedbaldhead said:

S10GTA said:

With respect, you've not been too ill to walk your dogs. Cough/cold? Man up and get out there. The fresh air will do you good.

Poor bloody dogs.

I wish. The flulike virus was a beast. Both of us were floored and three weeks on still washed out. The vomiting virus was the icing on the cake.

The dogs are taken in my car each day to some grassland nearby for a wee run out and crash through the bushes (it's a springer thing). It's better than nothing but nowhere near the exercise they are used to.

Wonder if the reason they don't seem phased is due to their age (eight and eleven)

No offence, but you're apparently too ill to walk but can drive a car some distance?

Bet you text in to work when you're sick too eh?

[bexVN]

briangriffin said:

sorry for taking a while to get back, im working so not with him but the missus has said he seems ok. he was sulking a little when i left for work having been told off by the missus. he was under the tree taking his presents after that though so obviously fine and forgotten all about his telling off.

The missus will be having a telling off in the morning though as im fed up of telling her to stop leaving things he shouldn't have where he can get them!

thanks for the advice guys

Just be aware once they discover chocolate they tend to seek it out, so definitely get that chocolate out of his way. Your wife has got to be careful he will be in real trouble soon enough if precautions aren't taken (and it won't be his fault). Unless she caught him in the act then telling off is virtually pointless and it won't stop him doing it again!

[TwistingMyMelon]

My misses used to feed one of our dogs giant chocolate buttons, he got through a whole bag!She never knew about chocolate and dogs

Our other dog ate 60 thyroid tablets, he perforated them out the packet!! he has also eaten a whole uncooked gammon joint, a bible and part of a door

I used to always feed our dogs garlic bread...till the vet told me garlic is poisonous!

Gotta be careful through!

[S10GTA]

TwistingMyMelon said:

My misses used to feed one of our dogs giant chocolate buttons, he got through a whole bag!She never knew about chocolate and dogs

Our other dog ate 60 thyroid tablets, he perforated them out the packet!! he has also eaten a whole uncooked gammon joint, a bible and part of a door

I used to always feed our dogs garlic bread...till the vet told me garlic is poisonous!

Gotta be careful through!

My nans dog ate the thalidomide tablets she was supposed to take when pregnant with my mum back in the early sixties!