Dog Community

A Debate Walk vs. Not

Posted : 6/20/2006 8:30:09 PM

Have been having a debate wtih a friend, always great fun. About a year ago, she adopted a 4 year old sheltie who is a dear little guy. Around the house he is sweet and polite and surprisingly quiet. He loves to run around their large backyard. BUT, take him off the property and he turns into a raving lunatic. She did 10 weeks of obedience and time with a behaviorist and still the behavior continues, he is impossible to walk, and she has spent money on every kind of collar and leader known to man. So, she has made the decision, she's not walking him, that's it. He is so comfortable on their property and is well behaved and gets a good run around a few times a day in the yard playing fetch and all.

We debated it a bit, naive me saying "well, it's a dog, you gotta walk it," she said this dog is obviously happier when not walked, so that's what it's gonna be. I can understand her reason for this decision.

What would you do?

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/20/2006 8:32:15 PM

As long as he gets sufficient play time and exercise in the yard I would say dont walk him.... he will not be well socialized, but hes not anyway it seems. I dont see anything wrong with not walking him...[sm=2cents.gif]

jennie_c_d

Posted : 6/20/2006 8:36:56 PM

I wouldn't walk him. If he's THAT uncomfortable, away from home, I'd probably leave him be. Hopefully, he's alright for car rides and vet visits. It sounds like she's put forth lots and lots of effort, to get him ok with being away from home....

Brittany Gifford

Posted : 6/20/2006 8:42:43 PM

If she went through that much trouble and the dog is still not getting it I would say DON'T WALK. At least I wouldn't. As long as he gets to frolic in the yard and is calm in the house there should be no need.

griffinej5

Posted : 6/20/2006 9:13:09 PM

I'd probably not walk him either. If it's more of a hassle than it's worth, and she has a sufficient means for exercising him, why put herself and the dog through the stress that comes with walking.

Sandra TH

Posted : 6/21/2006 1:21:06 PM

My Zoey was a raving lunatic on walks, too (she was on her way to be euthed for being "vicious" after the ACO witnessed one of her fits), so I have slowly been desensitizing her to the things on walks that trigger her (squirrels and other dogs). It has been very hard work and went extremely slowly in the beginning, but she has made tremendous progress- so it can be done. I have been working hard on it because I dream of taking her lots of

laces with me, so it was important to me to get her problems worked out.

I guess what I am saying is that if your friend doesn't ever want to take her dog places, it wouldn't be such a big deal to not take walks if she got enough exercise in other ways. However, the dog's world would be so small (just the yard and house). I always think thats very sad, but maybe it doesn't really matter to the dog and is more a "human" feeling... I feel so sad for dogs in my neighborhood that never get to leave their yards- they look so sad and almost wistful to me when they watch us walk by!

angelamarie

Posted : 6/21/2006 7:53:49 PM

Thanks for all the opinions, it's always interesting. We havd reached a truce by my girlfriend telling me "Well, if you think he needs so many stinking walks, you come right on over and walk him all you want."