How often do you walk your dog

Nowadays, walking your dog is the most natural thing in the world. Yet this is something of the past decades, when the dog became our family friend.

Where does our outlet habit come from?

How often should you actually walk a dog?

And what rules apply for this?

In this article we will give you all the information about walking your four-legged friend.

Why walk your dog?

Walking your dog seems like an all-time habit. You will think. Doesn’t he just have to pee and defecate? And how else does he get enough exercise?

But many of our dogs were bred many years ago for some task in our society. No matter how early!

First we had wolves and wolfdogs to hunt with. Later we had canids as guards, keepers and even pack animals.

Enough to do, for the dog of the past! And peeing and pooping, they did that in between somewhere in a bush or corner. Nobody cared about that.

But today most of the dog’s tasks have been taken over by machines and other modern developments. This left only the luxury position of pet for our four-legged friend.

Now, of course, there are dogs with tasks. Think of guide dogs, police dogs and of course the house and yard guards. Yet these are also held differently than in the past.

Just walking out the door for a visit to the toilet or a round about is no longer possible in our busy, modern society. So we let our dogs out.

How often should you walk a dog?

We usually walk our dog so he can go to the bathroom and get plenty of physical exercise.

Nowadays we see that dogs are often taken out three times a day. Early in the morning, noon and late at night. This is on average every 6 to 8 hours.

But consider that you can only pee or defecate once every 8 hours. And only has a few minutes to do so.

Of course your dog will get used to a certain walking rhythm. But that does not have to mean that urinating once every 8 hours is enough.

Especially for dogs that are not allowed to pee in the garden, making a pee and poo round once every 4 to 6 hours is a nice habit.

Holding stools for a long time can cause health problems. From bladder stones to nasty infections.

How much exercise does my dog ​​need?

In addition, every dog ​​needs sufficient exercise for a good condition and health. However, this differs per breed.

For example, walking for an hour makes a Chihuahua completely tired, but a Border Collie is far from wanting to go home.

Therefore, read carefully about the specific breed needs and observe your dog.

Appropriate movement also has to do with the condition of the body. Is your dog sick , old, pregnant or is he still a puppy? Then of course other rules apply.

These individuals can take it easy, and at temperatures above 20 ° C . For polar dogs, a temperature limit of 15 ° C even applies!

The type of exercise must also suit your dog.

Does your dog have an increased risk of hip or elbow dysplasia ? Climbing stairs, slippery floors, wild games with sharp curves and hard stopping times are not recommended.

But walking or swimming is ideal for these dogs !

Where can you walk a dog?

Have you figured out what to do with your dog? Always keep to the rules of the environment.

In all municipalities in the Netherlands, the dog must be on a leash in built-up areas. There is only an exception to this when you enter an area with the official signs “dog play area” or “loose run area”.

Outside the built-up area, dogs are often allowed to run free, but always keep to the signs of the municipality.

Read the given information carefully. Sometimes running free is only allowed at specific times or during special months of the year.

An example of this is the beach. Here dogs are often allowed between October 1 and May 1 loosening freely .

However, between May 1 and October 1, the busier summer months start with many visitors. Then adjusted times apply for running free.

Dogs are not allowed at all in some areas. This is indicated by means of a prohibition sign.

Another special situation takes place in natural areas. To protect wildlife in nature, dogs often need to be on a leash here. Sometimes they are not even welcome at all.

When entering these areas, the four-legged friend must be kept under control by the owner at all times.

The game can be hunted and cause serious accidents. The breeding area of ​​certain birds and shelters for animals such as foxes, badgers and rabbits can also be disturbed in such a way that this has a detrimental effect on the natural population.

Is your dog going after game after all? Or can you not prove that he is perfectly under appeal? Then it can be concluded that you are present in the nature reserve with an ‘unauthorized hunting tool’. This is punishable.

For this reason, it is always advised to keep wind and hunting dogs on a leash in a natural area, to avoid unpleasant situations.