The Little Bear Dog Blog

When I finally decided to get a puppy, part of my research included a book on dog breeds.  I grew up with an energetic Springer Spaniel and love the breed, but I knew that if I wanted to hold down a full time job, I wouldn’t have the time for the long walks that most Springer’s crave. 

I decided on Little Bear’s breed as the book said they needed ‘moderate’ amounts of exercise.  I had no idea what ‘moderate’ meant.  Obviously as a puppy, walks had to be short not to put too much strain on his little joints, but what would moderate mean once he was grown up?

Working on the principle that all dogs are unique, I decided that we’d just have to play it by ear and see what he’d prefer.  I do believe though that most dogs need to get out every day as a bare minimum.

I get cabin fever if I don’t get out of the house every day and I have a demanding day job, a partner, my writing, endless amounts of housework, a social life and two demanding pets to keep me occupied! Dogs have, eating, sleeping, playing and walking which means the latter becomes incredibly important to their mental health as well as their physical health.

So I decided that he’d get a minimum of two walks a day – a morning walk for forty minutes or so where he could let off some steam and charge about off lead and a twenty minute walk on lead in the evening, just to stretch his legs, go to the loo and catch up on who else has been watering the neighbourhood lampposts before settling down for bed.

The touble is Little Bear is not keen on walks after supper.  Put on your dog walking coat anytime after the watershed and he scuttles off the sofa at double speed and lurks under the dining room table, trying to be inconspicuous. 

So I have a dilemma.  Take him anyway and deal with the guilt of one seriously grumpy looking dog who practically sprints around the block in order to get back to his beloved sofa, or leave him be and cope with the hyperactive lunatic that will no doubt wake us, full of way to many unspent beans at 6am. 

 Neither option is much fun. Add in biting winds and sub zero temperatures and I can fully understand why he’s reluctant to go out of an evening.  But, having had him for nearly three years I know that he needs his full quota of exercise and for him that means around 45 minutes every morning and at least 20-30 minutes of an evening – more if we can squeeze it in.

So  I’ve  found a third option.  When work allows, I take a very late lunch and we spend it in the big field playing ball. It’s the better option all round as it gets me away from my desk for at least half an hour, we get to walk in daylight and he gets to burn off way more energy than he would during an on lead walk.  It can also be a busy time at the field so he often gets to meet and play with other dogs which of course he loves. 

Timing wise it also suits his routine as he naturally starts to get restless at around 4 in the afternoon. A late afternoon walk also means that’s he’s properly tired come the evening and can happily snooze on the sofa without interruption.

He’s there right now, sprawled out like a lord, feet and whiskars twitching in time with his dreams. He’ll be there until one of us says ‘bed time’ and then he’ll race up the stairs to the old armchair he’s adopted as his bed.  Who said it was a dogs life?