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Originally Posted by Sgt_Cooper  Ive only had my yorkie for a year and maybe Im still a learning mamma, but I dont really take my dos for walks . (i have 1 yorkie and 1lhasa apso)but the dont really seem to mind. We play fetch in the house some and hell ru till he getd out of breath. My lhasa she's just lazy and stays in bed all the time. I did start taking him (yorkie) out for walks in the yard but when i did that he started wanting to run outside the house more and it was starting to get dangerous. We live close to the road yet close to woods and i was afraid that he'll get run over or lost. He's so fast I could hardly catch him. They seem content not going out. But I feel like I might not be doing right by them . But I dont want it to encourage him to dart out when the door is open.... also he hate a piece of gummy candy tonight.......will it hurt him? He snuck and grabbedit on the run. |
It sounds like you don't have a large fenced area outside either and you mention the one just stays in bed all the time. So, I think you really need to work in a daily walk ON A LEASH. You can buy a coupler that swivels so the leashes will not become tangled. It is important that they get daily exercise. If you have a fenced yard like I do, then you can just do it all in the yard. I throw toys for fetch and they like to just run the perimeter of the yard a lot. Still, we like to work in walks outside the yard for variety and socialization. Since your dogs sound like they are in different levels of shape, you may have to walk them separately. Start out with short walks at a slow pace -- maybe only 10 minutes at a time to start. Then add 5 minutes a week until you are walking them for 30 minutes a day.
You don't
have to walk them daily but there needs to be some sort of fairly good exercise. A little fetch inside, is probably not going to be enough (although I am sure you could make it work). If you are not going to do the daily walks, then you need to really evaluate how much exercise they are getting. Especially the one you say is lazy and stays in bed, you need to get that baby up and moving before it has a heart attack. It will be the very best thing for their heart, for their lungs, for their bones and muscles. This really is important!
They will sniff things along the way and try to eat strange things they find. On a leash you can limit it, but they may still get an odd piece of candy or try to lick another dog's leavings. Not the end of the world and still healthier than allowing them to lay around and clog their arteries and atrophy muscles. Make sure they are always up to date on shots.
As I mentioned this is really important for the health of your dogs. It will be good for your health too! Getting out in the fresh air and walking at a moderate pace is invigorating, will give you more energy and make your pups much more healthy! Think of the remote and hope-it-never-happens situation of requiring surgery ... if they go in in good health from daily exercise they are much more likely to make it through. When they face surgery in poor health, lungs not stretched to good capacity, hearts not used to any exercise, then it is VERY dangerous! So, get the leashes out and have some fun! Walking with your dogs can be a hoot! They are always coming up with somethng funny to do, to find, and people to entertain. You can meet some great people out walking the dogs!
Have fun!