Tylers is the same, he is learning on the lead. I recently had a small car crash and hurt my shoulder so an unexpected pulls can hurt. Its when its windy and the leafs are whipping about in the air, he darts after them! but he is my responsibility and needs to go out. I am lucky to have a nice neighbour who offers to help, but I do enjoy walking him. Esp as he is a puppy

Cosmo doesn't enjoy walks, but we do exercise every day.

I'm also on the Pacific Northwest so saying you won't go outside because of rain makes me a laugh. (;

Here's something you can do inside that will burn more mental exercise than a walk, and will also get her tired (although it won't build muscle):

Clicker train an advanced skill:
Do nosework: start by hiding her whole dinner and breakfast around the house. Then work up to having her look for her favourite tug toy. Reward with tugging for extra excercise. 20 mins of this is like a 1.5 hour walk.

One thing to keep in mind - I think you were looking at getting a second dog. Reckognize that 2 dogs are actually more like 3 in terms of time and exercise committment.

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Jacqueline

"I have just met you and I love you" - Dug (Up!)

We are just back from a walk with lots of Chuck-It tennis ball retrieving, and now I have sleepy dogs.

We walk our dogs every day, and recently we've started walking them twice a day. We think it's very important. Because we work all day, the dogs get no stimulation. They can stay inside or go in the yard, but they don't get exercise, they don't get to smell things, they don't get the sensory stimulation that is necessary for maintaining a healthy retriever. So, rain or shine, light or dark, sick or well, our dogs get walked every day, no matter what.

I walk mine 2,3 sometimes 4 walks a day. 20-30 minutes each walk. Sometimes I will go to the park for 15 minutes and play with his chuck it, then go for a walk. Oddly, he will only get 1 walk a day when im really tired, sore and busy. I have taken him on at least one walk a day for 5 years.

I don't walk my dogs, we play in the fenced in backyard. Would like to walk them, but don't want to have to deal with unleashed dogs running up to them. I keep a few bumpers in the backyard and when Flip needs some extra exercise I'll set them on oe end of the yard and send him to retrieve them one at a time from the other side of the yard.

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Jodie

AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel - retired)
Mud E Paws UDX OM2 RE OBHF (Conner - retired with 28 OTCH points)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels UD BN RA (Flip)
And the odd one of the family - Colby Jack Teeter Smack CDX GO RA (Colby - Lhasa Apso)

When the weather is fine, I always take my dog for a walk.

It scares the crappy out of me when I see unleashed dogs. Just yesterday on our walk there was a dog off leash in his front yard. He was barking and ran to the edge of the yard but wouldn't leave the yard. It scared me when he came running and I picked Lily up and carried her until I passed that house. He probably just wanted to play but I'm over protective.

I walk Sydney twice a day. No choice. I live in an apartment so no backyard. And she's not trusted off-leash.

I do walk her on a long (20ft) lead so she can run around near me, and play.

We walk for 45-60 min in the morning, and about 30-45 in the evening (depending on the weather in the evening more .... it's really dark out now).

That's about the only outside time she gets during the week (plus one more potty trip before bed). On the weekends, I try to give her three walks OR a longer / hike or something.

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- Kat (Sydney's Mom)

I walk my dogs every day. In the morning approximately one hour with much of the walk off leash. Afternoon 30-40 minutes, again mostly off leash. Late afternoon 30 minutes. The timing of the walks/exercise varies according to the season and in the Summer we are often out longer in the afternoon and early evening. We are lucxky to have good country space where dogs can be off leash and this makes it easier. I don't do many road walks at all.

Walking your dog is not only important for exercise but also for the mental stimulation. They get to read all the "pee-mail", see other people as well as animals, hone their nose skills smelling the squirrels, cats, rabbits and use their brains to be obedient to the training they get out in the world. In a lifetime of having dogs, there have only been a very few occasions when I've skipped the twice daily walk, both off leash and on leash. Weather has never been an excuse unless it's a "can't see in front of your face" blizzard or hurrican-force winds. So, to answer your questions, yes, I think it's incredibly important to your dog's well-being to get out in the world daily.

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Golden retrievers think life is a party thrown especially for them