Not walking a dog

Medusa22

Hi all, I'm just wondering if people consider it acceptable to never walk your dog? My next door neighbours have a small terrier who is never walked and barks incessantly. The poor dog spends almost all of his time in the garden (which is concrete, no grass at all and very small) and and he barks at anything, probably due to sheer boredom and lack of stimulation. My neighbours don't seem too friendly and we rarely speak and I was wondering if they would be extremely offended if I offered to walk their dog. I am also unsure of how I should approach the topic as I do have to live next door to them. Advice would be appreciated.

SillyMangoX

Do you have a dog yourself? Maybe call by and say you are bringing out your own dog to a local park/beach and ask if they would like you to take their dog too. Might open up to you being able to bring him out more often.

kildare.17hmr

Id you dont have a dog you could say you are thinking about getting one and would it be ok to spend some time with theirs walking ect to see how you take to it

The Sweeper

Medusa22 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm just wondering if people consider it acceptable to never walk your dog?

Not really. But it depends.

Almost all dogs benefit from regular walks (unless they have a health condition that makes walking painful or detrimental to their health e.g. hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, spondylosis, arthritis, so on).

However there's a difference between a dog that's not regularly walked but is included in everything in a household, and a dog that's not regularly walked and is tied by a chain to a stake in the yard and never interacted with. There are plenty of elderly and infirm people who don't walk their dogs regularly. There are plenty of people with large properties who don't walk their dogs (on the basis that with that much space, the dog somehow doesn't require a walk).

There are also plenty of people with reactive dogs, non-leash-trained dogs, dog-aggressive dogs, dogs that are too big for them and pull like trains and tiny dogs that they're afraid of being savaged by another dog, and none of these people will regularly walk their dogs.

All of the above dogs would benefit from proper training and a leash walk in the right environment, however often they only become real problem dogs if they're left out in the yard and totally ignored - which sounds like the problem with the jack russell you live next to.

I'd rather see a dog kept in the home, given basic training, stimulated by being in the household and under foot, interacted with daily but hardly ever walked, than see a dog kept in the yard with no contact for 22 hours a day and walked for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

Contentious as it may be, I've lived next door to yard dogs that never get out, and yard dogs that are never interacted with apart from one walk a day (two if they're lucky) and BOTH kinds of dogs show the same problem behaviour - barking at any noise, round the frickin clock, rushing the fence line if someone passes by, digging, destroying the yard, and both kinds of dog can be reactive if walked and can have bloody awful recall if allowed off-leash, because there is no bond between them and their owner, because there is no interaction between them and their owner.

DustyMan

Maybe send an nice anonymous letter to them. Keep it short and stating the nuisance of their dag barking, in a nice way, suggesting they should walk it etc. Might get them thinking....

susiebubbles

If you don't have a dog how about saying that you enjoy walking but it's a bit lonely and can you walk their dog? Like they're doing you a favour. I've walked my Uncle's dog because the poor thing was never walked, I don't think they were happy but they never said anything. Family is different though.

Birdnuts

Some breeds need more exercise then others - but nearly all(apart maybe from some small toy breeds) would need at least some sort of daily walk routine for both physical and mental health reasons. Sadly this is another case of someone getting a particular type of dog without any thought given to its needs or what breed is suiteable for ones lifestyle:(

Zapperzy

It is sad to see dogs cooped up all day without interaction or walks, you have to wonder why they have them in the first place. Sad also that it's a terrier, they are such energy powerhouses and can walk and run for miles and normally aren't too pleased when the energy isin't burned off giving them an even further bad name as a 'yappy' dog.

It's not illegal once the dog has food, shelter and is not being denied veterinary attention or suffering (it seems only physical suffering is viable here, mental suffering obviously doesn't count ). So not much else you can do except talk to your neighbours and ask would they let you walk the dog, if you haven't already got a dog you could say you love dogs but can't have one yourself at the moment but would like to fill a gap.

Vince32

I personally believe that if the dog is not getting walk or interaction, basic training should precede walks, but not by much, as an untrained dog could be a bit of a handful on the lead for the first time.

If you have the time and incentive to take on this dogs training and exercise, you'll get a pat on the back from everyone on this forum.

Dodd

Dogs that are not walked can have nails that are all over the place.
Be sure what you are taking on.
Take a look at this found dogs nails.
That has to be sore just for it to walk.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78838766&postcount=1624

JustAThought

You could bring the two up ; say that you are concerned about the dog & that it barks all day & is upsetting you . And then suggest that you could take it for a walk as you re just next door / feel sorry for it etc.

Then they know that a complaint about the barking is coming down the line & it might stimulate them into taking more active care with it & walking it; particularly if they don't want to give you a key/ access.

Would the dog go nuts if you went into it's territory? Is it lead trained!!? What if it bit you/someone!!! But you might be making it's life a doggy heaven too : ) I'd say if it was running on cement it's nails will be kept grated short but it's worth s look to nake sure they're not curled back into ringlets just in case!!

Imagine; being locked up and hyperactive all your life & then someone bringing you on amazing journeys & adventures every other day!!! It's well worth the ask!!!

Medusa22

Thank you very much for all of your replies, they are appreciated and very helpful. The dog seems very excited and happy if I speak to him over the wall so I think he should be ok with me if I take him for a walk although I am concerned about how he will react to other dogs. I know that it will take time to leash train him and also time for him to adjust to being walked but I think that it is so important for a dog to be walked. I have been thinking about this for a while and I have thought about it even more now that the weather is so good and he should be outside. I think I will go over and tell the neighbours that I'm trying to improve my fitness by going for regular walks and would they mind if I brought the dog with me to keep me motivated. I have a cat that torments the poor dog next door so I don't think they'll believe that I want to get a dog I'll let you know what they say!

callmekenneth

if a dog spends all day barking and never gets out of its yard then that's cruelty right there. what's the point in having it?

Millem

The Sweeper wrote: »

Medusa22 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm just wondering if people consider it acceptable to never walk your dog?

Not really. But it depends.

Almost all dogs benefit from regular walks (unless they have a health condition that makes walking painful or detrimental to their health e.g. hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, spondylosis, arthritis, so on).

However there's a difference between a dog that's not regularly walked but is included in everything in a household, and a dog that's not regularly walked and is tied by a chain to a stake in the yard and never interacted with.

I'd rather see a dog kept in the home, given basic training, stimulated by being in the household and under foot, interacted with daily but hardly ever walked, than see a dog kept in the yard with no contact for 22 hours a day and walked for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

I think it's all relative. Some dogs are left to their own devices 23hrs a day in the garden given and then given an hours walk. Other dogs only occasionally go out for a walk but are treated like a member of the family and involved in every activity in the house.

I'm not saying the situation we have at home is right or wrong, but here's how it works for us: We have 3 female labs (4,5 and 9) who are walked on average 3-4 times per week. (1 hour walks around the area mon to fri and long beach / mountain walk at weekends). Between work & college commitments we just aren't able to bring them out every night. Added to the mix 2 of the dogs have health problems, one has arthritis and the other has heart problems.

All of the dogs though are full family members - they have the run of the house. Our tv room is called 'the dog room' - we have 2 dog beds on the ground but generally they prefer lying on the recliners. They sleep outside our room, and it is not uncommon for the youngest one (we call her the baby, and she answers to that!) to sneak in to our room and get under the covers in the middle of the night! All of the dogs absolutely hate the rain (but have no problem going for a swim mind you) and would point blank refuse to go out if it is even drizzling.

I suppose my point is that I feel our guys have a healthy balance in their lives - they may not get to go walkies every day but they are our shadows in the house. We have an 80 foot garden so I'll generally try and play ball etc for a while every day that they don't go out. (so long as its not raining!)

We have never had a problem with barking / destructive behaviour / annoying neighbours ever with our guys which tells me they're happy out.

All in all I think that walking is absolutely important, but only one of a number of types of mental / physical stimulus a dog needs...

sambuka41

Millem wrote: »

All in all I think that walking is absolutely important, but only one of a number of types of mental / physical stimulus a dog needs...

Yeah this is true, mine suffers with really bad separation anxiety but is also a very anxious dog in general. If we go for a walk and it's busy with people or noise, she is a mess at home for the rest of the day/night. Some days her walk has the opposite effect, she comes home more anxious and stressed!! So we play lots of games at home on days where we know the park is busy.

But OP unless the neighbours dog has an issues I think it would really benefit from being walked, its a really nice thing for you to do.

Millem

But OP unless the neighbours dog has an issues I think it would really benefit from being walked, its a really nice thing for you to do.

Completely agree - I'd say the poor dog is just bored out of his mind and just trying to burn off energy. You'd be amazed what a half hour playing with a ball or to go all out a walk and dip on sandymount strand would do !

Graces7

sambuka41 wrote: »

Yeah this is true, mine suffers with really bad separation anxiety but is also a very anxious dog in general. If we go for a walk and it's busy with people or noise, she is a mess at home for the rest of the day/night. Some days her walk has the opposite effect, she comes home more anxious and stressed!! So we play lots of games at home on days where we know the park is busy.

But OP unless the neighbours dog has an issues I think it would really benefit from being walked, its a really nice thing for you to do.

Thanks for this. it is the interaction with you. Hence the huge joy and benefit of ball games. I run our two in the early mornings in the fields, unless the arthritis is too bad as I need to keep moving too...I realised recently that the reason wee dog gets so fraught in the late afternoon is not needing more exercis, but cranky because she is hungry. Energy goes over the top as her blood sugar levels are low.She too is a very anxious dog at times.

Days when I cannot walk far we play ball games. WHich she loves even more that chasing scents in the field and sussing out the latest mice in the house.

alie

Medusa22 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm just wondering if people consider it acceptable to never walk your dog? My next door neighbours have a small terrier who is never walked and barks incessantly. The poor dog spends almost all of his time in the garden (which is concrete, no grass at all and very small) and and he barks at anything, probably due to sheer boredom and lack of stimulation. My neighbours don't seem too friendly and we rarely speak and I was wondering if they would be extremely offended if I offered to walk their dog. I am also unsure of how I should approach the topic as I do have to live next door to them. Advice would be appreciated.

I wonder if you live near me, lol, we have neighbors behind us who got a dog and it was well shown off as a puppy but now all interest is gone and it is either locked in the garage or in the back patio area, it barks non stop. My sister suggested a dog whistle as anytime we are out the back it goes crazy barking.

Medusa22

alie wrote: »

I wonder if you live near me, lol, we have neighbors behind us who got a dog and it was well shown off as a puppy but now all interest is gone and it is either locked in the garage or in the back patio area, it barks non stop. My sister suggested a dog whistle as anytime we are out the back it goes crazy barking.

The poor dog, that's awful. Especially locking him in the shed. Some people treat animals like toys, after a while the interest is lost. I really wonder why some people have animals! Thanks for the advice everyone. I realised that the neighbour's car hadn't been seen for a couple of days and I was worried about the dog. It seemed that his bowl was being refilled but he was howling non-stop yesterday so I rang the doorbell and there was no answer. I went to the neighbours living two doors down and they said that the couple had gone on holiday for a week and that they were feeding the dog. The poor dog is alone almost 24-7 in a concrete garden with not one toy in sight! They seem to have enough money because their house is filled with toys for their daughter, one toy wouldn't cost that much. The neighbour looking after the dog said that he had taken him for a walk the day before and he said that he would bring him over to his house that night because the dog is very lonely. Me and my partner asked if we could bring him for a walk and we did and the dog was so delighted. I think he might be walked sometimes because he didn't seem entirely untrained but I doubt he is walked very often. We gave him a ball to play with and he was so happy. I'm going to get him a couple of toys to play with today to keep him amused when he's alone. The owners are due back tomorrow so we'll ask if we can walk him then.

Zapperzy

Medusa22 wrote: »

I went to the neighbours living two doors down and they said that the couple had gone on holiday for a week and that they were feeding the dog. The poor dog is alone almost 24-7 in a concrete garden with not one toy in sight!

That is awful! :eek: I don't know how they can go on holidays and enjoy themselves knowing their dog is locked in a concrete yard alone 24-7 with someone just dropping in for a few minutes a day with food. I wouldn't be able to sleep. Poor dog would be going stir crazy, dogs need companionship and mental stimulation. It's comparable to locking a person in a square windowless plain room with no outside communication or entertainment and a bowl of food thrown in once a day, that would be considered torture. Lovely environment to bring a child up in too, teach them early how to neglect animals.

Can you see if the yard is at least cleaned of excrement and the dog has shelter? It's nice of you to care and give your time and money to helping this dog.

Medusa22

We checked and he has a shelter and water and his excrement is cleaned up at night when he is fed, I think, at least it seems to be gone in the mornings! We gave him the toys and he seems delighted now, he has stopped pacing. It is so easy to make them happy so I don't understand why people don't do it! I totally agree with you that it is like keeping a person in a room with absolutely no stimulation, it will lead to behavioural problems and I bet they'll blame the poor dog. It's great to see that there are other people who love their pets too and would do these things for them.

Even when they are at home the dog spends very little time with them, he is usually in the garden on his own, in fact he seems to spend all of his time in there. Hopefully the owners will let us walk the dog again when they come back from holiday!

The Sweeper

The Sweeper wrote: »

Contentious as it may be, I've lived next door to yard dogs that never get out, and yard dogs that are never interacted with apart from one walk a day (two if they're lucky) and BOTH kinds of dogs show the same problem behaviour - barking at any noise, round the frickin clock, rushing the fence line if someone passes by, digging, destroying the yard, and both kinds of dog can be reactive if walked and can have bloody awful recall if allowed off-leash, because there is no bond between them and their owner, because there is no interaction between them and their owner.

Our mini poodle is walked most days, loved and talked to and included in everything... but he still always barks at a noise he doesn't like!!!

Graces7

bluewolf wrote: »

Our mini poodle is walked most days, loved and talked to and included in everything... but he still always barks at a noise he doesn't like!!!

There is a difference between alarm barking and the frenzied non-stop barking that is happening here. Alarm barking is their job!

If you have never heard a neglected dog barking...

There is one over the fields here barks hour after hour; probably chained up. Nothing like the barking and howling we hear from the local hounds sometimes.

ah fair enough, i saw the "barks at any noise" bit and thought of osky

Millem

Graces7 wrote: »

bluewolf wrote: »

Our mini poodle is walked most days, loved and talked to and included in everything... but he still always barks at a noise he doesn't like!!!

There is a difference between alarm barking and the frenzied non-stop barking that is happening here. Alarm barking is their job!

If you have never heard a neglected dog barking...

There is one over the fields here barks hour after hour; probably chained up. Nothing like the barking and howling we hear from the local hounds sometimes.

Agreed - massive difference between alarm barking and boredom barking. Our labs don't get out for a walk everyday but are 100% part of the house. In fact maybe we've gone a bit far the other way - as write one of them is lying IN the bed (under the covers) between myself and my OH. I came up to bed a few mins ago and found the dog in with my girlfriend. Dog has mastered the art of pretending to be asleep so as not to be moved.... Gotta admire her acting skills !

STI V5

Cant understand why people have dogs if they cant be bothered to walk them !! we have a poor little fu#ker next door to us that circles around himself all day everyday whilst uncontrollably barking and whining !!! ive talked to the ignorant neighbours who didn't care so after a 6-7 months of it i called the D#P#A and a fat lot of use they were !! apparently as long as he was being fed and watered that's good enough for the poor little mite.. they have no guidelines or laws regarding a dogging having to be walked ! so much for the prevention for cruelty of animals!! Only interested in high profiled cases for publicity !!!

ISDW

STI V5 wrote: »

Cant understand why people have dogs if they cant be bothered to walk them !! we have a poor little fu#ker next door to us that circles around himself all day everyday whilst uncontrollably barking and whining !!! ive talked to the ignorant neighbours who didn't care so after a 6-7 months of it i called the D#P#A and a fat lot of use they were !! apparently as long as he was being fed and watered that's good enough for the poor little mite.. they have no guidelines or laws regarding a dogging having to be walked ! so much for the prevention for cruelty of animals!! Only interested in high profiled cases for publicity !!!

The DSPCA, or indeed any of the SPCAs around the country do not make the laws. They can only work within the law, and unfortunately yes, as long as the dog has shelter, food and water, that is enough under our laws.

JustAThought

"The DSPCA, or indeed any of the SPCAs around the country do not make the laws. They can only work within the law, and unfortunately yes, as long as the dog has shelter, food and water, that is enough under our laws."

Y; that's the worst part; thou my up the road neighbour had a hussy fit cos she wanted someone from the DDPCA to come & lift a cat from the roof of her shed ; they are volunteers ! I suppose it's the extreme neglect that captures the medias interest; not poor dogs gone mad with frustration like the polar bears in the zoo.

My ( awful) neighbours have a savage snarley dog that throws itself on the fence snarling & going mad & this has been going on forever; but everyone else notices it now that the weather is nice. Yesterday I was ( trying to) study & heard my other neighbours from different houses close by take turns knocking & sticking their heads out their upstairs windows to look in & complain at them about it every time the dog started.

Community planning I guess!!
Hey presto ; dog suddenly finally taken for a long walk & peace.
& little dog happy ; for a change!

Tiggerman111

alie wrote: »

I wonder if you live near me, lol, we have neighbors behind us who got a dog and it was well shown off as a puppy but now all interest is gone and it is either locked in the garage or in the back patio area, it barks non stop. My sister suggested a dog whistle as anytime we are out the back it goes crazy barking.

Alie, would you not ring the ISPCA and report this? They are very good at talking to owners and educating them on needs of animals. In many cases owners decide to hand them over and the poor animal can find a proper home.

alie

Tiggerman111 wrote: »

alie wrote: »

I wonder if you live near me, lol, we have neighbors behind us who got a dog and it was well shown off as a puppy but now all interest is gone and it is either locked in the garage or in the back patio area, it barks non stop. My sister suggested a dog whistle as anytime we are out the back it goes crazy barking.

Alie, would you not ring the ISPCA and report this? They are very good at talking to owners and educating them on needs of animals. In many cases owners decide to hand them over and the poor animal can find a proper home.

I spoke to the owner myself as I know her and she asked if the dog was annoying me, I told it was but I also said it is bored out of its mind, its quite pitiful to listen too which she replied, I bring it out but she has got aggressive so we got out at quiet times, which is utter rubbish, yes the dog is snappy but I think its gone bonkers out of boredom, its been a bit quieter recently so maybe she has copped on , fingers crossed , however I will contact the authorities if it starts again.

Graces7

alie wrote: »

I spoke to the owner myself as I know her and she asked if the dog was annoying me, I told it was but I also said it is bored out of its mind, its quite pitiful to listen too which she replied, I bring it out but she has got aggressive so we got out at quiet times, which is utter rubbish, yes the dog is snappy but I think its gone bonkers out of boredom, its been a bit quieter recently so maybe she has copped on , fingers crossed , however I will contact the authorities if it starts again.

Well done indeed. And yes, follow through. Poor pooch.