Consequences of Not Walking Your Dog

We sometimes think that not taking the dog for a walk at certain times, or simply letting it entertain itself in the yard, doesn't really pose a problem for it, since it adapts and understands.

Nothing could be further from the truth — dogs need to go out daily to feel good and stay healthy. Not taking them out can lead to a host of behavioral and health problems, which we explain in the following lines.

Why Do You Have to Walk Your Dog?

Contrary to what many people think, it's absolutely necessary to take our dog for a walk several times a day. It doesn't matter if it has a yard or if our house is big — it needs to go for walks, get some air, interact with other people and dogs, and be able to relieve itself wherever it likes.

Let's take a look at the main benefits of taking our dog for a walk daily, at least three times a day.

Proper Socialization

All dogs are very sociable — some may be a bit more reserved, but they'll never turn down the chance to greet other dogs they get along with, play with them, or let humans pet them.

It's tremendously important to let our dog sniff everything it wants at its own pace during walks, and to let it interact with other dogs and people, since that's how it will feel fulfilled and happy.

Getting Exercise

Not all dogs need large amounts of exercise, but all of them need to go out for walks. The simple walk is already exercise for many breeds — being able to walk for a good while exercises them well, and if they also play a bit with other dogs, they'll burn off a good part of their energy and feel fulfilled.

Stimulating Their Senses

We shouldn't only worry about them getting physical exercise — we also need to stimulate them mentally. Something we can achieve by letting them sniff everything they want during walks.

Experiencing new smells, sensations of cold or heat, the sun on their coat (which also gives them vitamin D). During walks they receive numerous stimuli from different sources.

Emotional Bond

Going for a walk with you is an excellent way to strengthen your emotional bond — a special connection that only exists between dog and human. Walks don't just benefit the dog, they also strengthen the bond between you.

Problems From Not Walking Your Dog

The benefits walks provide should be enough on their own, but in case you still think nothing happens if you don't walk it, here are some of the drawbacks you'll run into by not caring for it properly.

Behavioral Problems

A lack of walks causes states of anxiety and stress in the dog, which will end up seriously affecting its behavior. The dog will need to burn off its energy, and it will do so by breaking things, chewing on them, barking excessively, urinating where it shouldn't, and even showing early signs of aggression due to stress.

Health Problems

Your vet expenses will increase a lot, since dogs that don't go for walks are much more prone to suffering serious health problems. The anxiety from not going out and the lack of exercise will make the dog tend to gain weight, even reaching obesity.

This directly affects its health, with joint and heart problems, and even the appearance of diabetes in many cases. All of this comes with an added cost in vet bills and medication.

Socialization Problems

The lack of stimulation and contact with other dogs and humans will make the dog end up becoming antisocial, grumpy, and even aggressive. And these socialization problems will keep getting worse over time, reaching a point of no return.

How Often Is It Advisable to Walk a Dog?

If you're wondering how many walks a dog needs a day, you should know it all depends on the dog's health, age, and even breed. Generally speaking, it's advisable to take it out a minimum of three times a day, spread across the different times of day — one in the morning, one at midday, and one in the evening.

Each walk should last at least half an hour, and ideally at least one or two of them should be over an hour long. And depending on the breed and the factors mentioned above, some exercise will also be necessary.

What About Bad Weather?

There's no excuse for not going for a walk with the dog — bad weather only bothers us humans. Dogs play just as happily in the rain, cold, or snow. Just remember to use a raincoat/waterproof coat for dogs if it's raining heavily.