Where are all the dogs in winter?

fred funk }{

I got my first dog at the end of last summer, he's walked every day with few exceptions. One thing that has struck me this summer is the difference in the amount of people walking their dogs from winter to summer. Do these dogs not get out at all over the winter?

I can understand some people won't walk their dogs when the weather is terrible, that's understandable but over the winter I would nearly always see the same people out and we'd give each other a nod from across the road but now I see so many different people around I wonder where they were over the winter.

lorebringer

I find this so annoying - everyone comes out of the woodwork with their dogs, where have they all been for the past 6 months?! Hibernation perhaps?! I have had a few people comment on how we walk our dogs everyday, aren't we great for doing it everyday, blah blah blah - surely, this is just responsible dog ownership!

The "hardcore" dog walkers are always the ones treking through the mud and rain with saturated dog(s) in tow. We miss a walk every so often, for whatever reason, but we know all about it the next because our guys are bouncing off the walls until they get a decent walk. No wonder so many dogs have behavioual problems - they are cooped up in the house all the time, with masses of pent up energy and just express it with whatever means they have (chewing, barking etc.).

Once the nice weather passes it'll be the old faithfuls out again!

Dusty87

fred funk }{ wrote: »

I got my first dog at the end of last summer, he's walked every day with few exceptions. One thing that has struck me this summer is the difference in the amount of people walking their dogs from winter to summer. Do these dogs not get out at all over the winter?

I can understand some people won't walk their dogs when the weather is terrible, that's understandable but over the winter I would nearly always see the same people out and we'd give each other a nod from across the road but now I see so many different people around I wonder where they were over the winter.

Usual craic. Nothing surprising there. Noticed it my self.
Or the people with fancy dogs. Bring them to events, and you see them chained up until the next thing.

lorebringer

Dusty87 wrote: »

Or the people with fancy dogs. Bring them to events, and you see them chained up until the next thing.

Groomers must be making a fortune this year - I have seen more preened dogs in the past months than I have seen in the last year. Groomed to within an inch of their lives with bows and such :rolleyes:

belongtojazz

Maybe it's down to just not seeing them in the dark? where I walk my dogs is absolutely pitch black in the winter (i bring a torch and they wear reflective jackets) I rarely meet anyone when i walk them that way during the winter. The other thing is maybe they walk them somewhere less dark? I certainly could not go 24 hours without walking my 2 they would either kill each other or drive me insane

Then again I am an enternal optimist who believes everyone else is out walking their dogs in the lashings of freezing rain and pitch black just like me:rolleyes:

mymo

I know what you mean, I also get the comments about how often I walk the dogs, "you're out again with those dogs" or "you're always out with those dogs"(I do one long walk and 2 or 3 shorter most days, at least 2 walks any weather) and then theres the "they live in the house? I couldn't have mine fella in the house he'd wreak the place!" or "oh no I wouldn't have mine dog inside, they make so much mess!"
I really wonder sometimes why people get dogs, a tired dog is a happy dog!
As for keeping them outside, I have no problem with that if they're housed right and exercised well, etc, I just choose to have mine inside and I'm fed up with people telling me I shouldn't.
There's dogs everywhere at the mo.

lrushe

I don't so much mind all the fair weather dogs walkers (at least the dogs are happy for half of the year anyway ) but as the owner of a restricted breed it can reduce the number of places I can bring her and let her off leash without bumping into someone and their dog. I do get the hump when I get 'that' look from 'new' dog walkers when I do have her off leash, I feel like shouting 'I'm here all year round come hale, rain or shine and I'll still be here when you're tucked up in your warm house on a rainy day so don't give me that look!' That's my little rant over

Whispered

We take different routes when it is dark, my OH "wont allow" (bless him) me to walk through the park when it's dark so I stick to the main street. The dog also tends to get 3 or 4 shorter walks on hotter days instead of one long and one short so it seems we're out more often.

Zapperzy

Yes I do think there are dog owners that are 'afraid' of a little rain, or worried that their little darling might melt in the rain or freeze to death, either that or they're just too damn lazy. :rolleyes:
During the winter I take different routes and walk in different places, don't really like the toughts of walking across the beach in pitch black at night, although I have done it and it is quite scary. :eek: The woods is also a scary place when it's dark. So I tend to stick to walking around the village here, or up some of the backroads if Iv company in the winter. I walk a lot on the beach or in the woods during the summer. So it may seem like to some that they never see me walking during the winter but I do.

Littlevick

I wonder... It's a major annoyance alright.. I also feel sorry for dogs being walked in the high temperatures recently.

Is anyone familiar with new laws governing dogs on beaches etc?

Also- anyone suggest good places for off lead walks around Midelton/Carrigtwohill areas in Cork?

morganafay

Well my dogs (Cavaliers) hate the rain, and it's not just me saying that, they really do! So if it's raining during the winter (which is a lot) then I don't walk them. If I can find half an hour that it's not raining while it's still light before or after college then I'll walk them, but I also don't want to walk in the dark (in the countryside on dangerous roads). I walked them when there was snow and ice on the ground, and only fell once but I won't walk them in the rain.

My Springer spaniel used to love going out in the rain, and I'm sure lots of dogs do, but not my Cavs. If it's raining they'll sit in their shed all day looking out, and won't even come out to poo! Luckily they get enough exercise with running around on their own throughout the day (when it's not raining for a while) or chasing a ball, that they don't go crazy if they miss a walk.

I really really hate rain and cold weather, but once you're out walking you don't feel it so much . . . except the hand that's holding the lead is always freezing!

And in winter or summer, even when I go into town to the park, I only ever see the same two or three people walking their dogs, but I might see a few dogs walking themselves too :rolleyes:

Whispered

morganafay wrote: »

I walked them when there was snow and ice on the ground, and only fell once

Well done, I'd say I fell at least twice every walk. I'm so clumsy And then there was just no traction for me to correct him when he pulls, I'd chuck the lead and instead of pulling him back towards me, I'd skid forward to him. We exercised a lot with the ball in a field when the weather was like that, It was just too hard to bring him for longer walks.

Come to think of it yeah, when the ice and snow was around in January I don't remember seeing another dog out. There were one or two days when it was just horrific weather all day and both myself and the dog agreed that we didn't want to go out in it, but it usually calmed down at night so he got a walk then.

doggiewalker00

over winter id still bring mine for a walk,regardless of weather(unless its buketting down),although thier is more reluctance on thier part they give me a look "Not today im happy sitting infront of the fire":)root themselves to the front door "im not moving" but once you get going thier
alright.

They actually quite enjoyed the snow at Christmass.but prefer sunning themself in the back garden

morganafay

Whispered wrote: »

Well done, I'd say I fell at least twice every walk. I'm so clumsy And then there was just no traction for me to correct him when he pulls, I'd chuck the lead and instead of pulling him back towards me, I'd skid forward to him. We exercised a lot with the ball in a field when the weather was like that, It was just too hard to bring him for longer walks.

My dogs aren't strong enough to pull me over in the snow thankfully! I tried taking them into the fields in the snow but all the snow got stuck in their fur and formed big snow balls and they couldn't walk! We had to carry them home! :rolleyes:

doggiewalker00

morganafay wrote: »

Well my dogs (Cavaliers) hate the rain, and it's not just me saying that, they really do! So if it's raining during the winter (which is a lot) then I don't walk them. If I can find half an hour that it's not raining while it's still light before or after college then I'll walk them, but I also don't want to walk in the dark (in the countryside on dangerous roads). I walked them when there was snow and ice on the ground, and only fell once but I won't walk them in the rain.

My Springer spaniel used to love going out in the rain, and I'm sure lots of dogs do, but not my Cavs. If it's raining they'll sit in their shed all day looking out, and won't even come out to poo! Luckily they get enough exercise with running around on their own throughout the day (when it's not raining for a while) or chasing a ball, that they don't go crazy if they miss a walk.

I really really hate rain and cold weather, but once you're out walking you don't feel it so much . . . except the hand that's holding the lead is always freezing!

And in winter or summer, even when I go into town to the park, I only ever see the same two or three people walking their dogs, but I might see a few dogs walking themselves too :rolleyes:

lol my cavs hate the rain too,if its raining outside when you go to bring them out to the garden to do thier business before they go to bed.one of them will sit at the door and just look at me.she wont move till you go get the brolly for her (shes a spoilt diva ),then again this is the same girl who wont go out at night when its dark on her own,(the outside light we put in at the begining of jan helpt alot)

Xiney

I walk my dog in different areas depending on the weather.

If it's rainy and crappy and the only one who's getting enjoyment out of the walk* is the dog then I stick close to home.

If it's beautiful out then we get to go in the car and drive somewhere nice for a walk Gotten so that when it's sunny he goes straight for the car :P




*although there were a few times last winter that he honestly gave me a look of "you have got to be f"cking kidding me!" when I brought him outside.

cagney88

Well, I definitely bring my dog to the Phoenix park more during the summer as its warm and she can tire herself out in little to no time running in the long grass.

Its just too wet and cold to do that in the winter so its long walks in the area instead.

Plus, with more people around the park in the summer, it feels safer.

fred funk }{

OK, now the summer has gone and the winter is upon again. All the fair weather dog walkers have vanished for another six months and their poor mutts will not see a pavement or park until then. It really does baffle me where they all go once the nice weather has gone.

overmantle

All cavs seem to hate the rain alright.

belongtojazz

fred funk }{ wrote: »

OK, now the summer has gone and the winter is upon again. All the fair weather dog walkers have vanished for another six months and their poor mutts will not see a pavement or park until then. It really does baffle me where they all go once the nice weather has gone.

They're all back locked up in their gardens going mad as I walk past with my lot :rolleyes:

I could not let my dogs bark and cry like the poor mutts we walk past

sophie1234

but to be fair some people walk there dogs in different areas winter summer time? a nice summer day/evening i like the park or the beach or mountains with my guys but in the winter nights i prefer to stick to areas that are lit up! so i walk a couple of times around my estate because i feel safer there!! i wouldnt be going down to the park on my own in the dark? maybe people at my local walking places think that im keeping my dogs in for the winter? saturday/sunday they go to there normal park or mountains!

goat2

i walk dogs whether it is good or bad, and yes , i do not see the neighbours out walkabout with theirs these last few days, mine have a good walk in the morning and are happy snugged up looking out at the bad weather, they also do not like the cold and wet, but we still have the walk, it does me great also, once you have the rain gear and good wellies you are okay, and will enjoy the time out there.

HelenT

Myself and my other half were just commenting on this the other day. The dog population in our local park has majorily decreased in the past couple of weeks. I am talking daylight AND the weather has been great, we have had a perfect autumn, yet the number of dogs being walked compared to September has easily halved. My dog is really missing the amount of socialising she was getting every day. Maybe some of the human population hybernate for the winter ??

john t

every day , 12m onth old pup hyper needs walk daily and walked twice daily at weekends, also off lead in park too run n play..understand winter walks are not nice but i got wet today and would get wet every day too walk dog..

trio

I don't know how their dogs are letting them get away with it. Mine jumps up on me and won't leave me alone once it's around the "walk time" of the day.

I don't get any bloody choice in the matter!

lorebringer

Today is such a typical example of dogs (and owners) appearing out of nowhere - nice, sunny day and the number of people that we have seen walking their dogs is unbelievable. Where were these people last week when it was bucketing rain? No doubt, in their nice, cozy homes looking out at us walking our dogs thinking we're the "mad dog people"! My guys would be climbing the walls without a daily walk. I think it is great to see people out walking their dogs but some of them may have not been out for weeks (or months!) and it really gets to me. It's just one of those things that a dog owner has to commit to - if you don't want to do it (or can't pay someone to do it!) then you shouldn't have the dog, it shouldn't be a once in a while thing. As trio said above me - "I don't get any bloody choice in the matter!", it's just something that has to be done!

What has fueled my post is we met someone earlier who commented on how often we walk our dogs...eh, everyday?!?... saying we were great to do it blah blah blah, and then said they saw us last week in the lashing rain out with the dogs and thought (quote!) "Are they mad or what?". Really got under my skin - the OH and I are the mad people who walk their dogs everyday (fair enough, we do have more dogs than the average household... and some kennels!) while the people who keep their dogs cooped up for god knows how long are sane? Personally, the stress of having dogs in a house that are not given at least one decent walk everyday (obviously, we do miss the odd day) would drive me crazy - I think people who put up with that are the mad ones!

/rant.

sambuka41

overmantle wrote: »

All cavs seem to hate the rain alright.

My little one is half Pomeranian and she hates the rain too. I read somewhere that it can be uncomfortable when the rain hits their ears because they have such sensitive hearing. I think that applies to my little one,she hasn't got great eyesight but her hearing is perfect, she will howl if she is out in the rain

Its much harder to get the walks in during the winter, esp when your dog is afraid of the dark!!!! Plus its important to be safe yourself, theres no point being a martyr if you twist your ankle on ice or get mugged in the local park (my dog wouldn't exactly intimidate anyone!)

Discodog

It's not just a Summer/Winter thing but also days of the week. So many dogs around me only appear on Sundays !. There seems to be a Mass, Lunch then walk the dog routine.

There is a huge difference here compared to the UK. I have lived in a few English villages & most of the dogs are walked every day rain or shine because the dogs live indoors. My own dogs are kept indoors so two walks a day are essential. I suspect that many owners, who keep dogs outside, assume that they do not need further exercise. The "Sunday" walk is probably more for the owner than the dog.