Down time.

I've been talking to some trainers recently who all give their dogs "down time" - the odd day 2-3 times a month with no walks, just fun training at home and relaxing.

Do any of you do this? Bug is walked for 60 minutes minimum, off lead, daily - 365 days a year. She's not a pushy dog and never pesters for a walk - but her toilet training does go backwards if she doesn't get a good walk and she becomes more anxious.

Their reasoning is that if you become ill or just can't walk for a day they should be able to cope due to this.

Views?

Sounds like another wacky behavioural theory that someone will write a book on soon and make a mint. My dog doesnt go to the toilet in the house, so he has to be taken out for a walk. It seems kinder to the dog to make alternative arrangements in the (hopefully unlikely) event of illness: phone a friend, or if all else fails, book him into kennels. Taking out dog insurance can cover kennel fees for this purpose. Thumbs down to no-walkies idea from me.

We do it occasionally as there are days here that are simply too hot to walk - no matter the time of day. However we are fortunate enough to have a good size garden for the two of them and they can be just as happy having a zoom around. But definitely can't go too long without walking.

Ledger won't toilet in the yard so I have to take him to the park (albeit just behind the house) we go out 4-5 times a day mostly at the moment he gets a run with the ball on most of those trips out and one of them will be a long walk out or a trip to the football pitches (poop free area) to play with his boomer.

I suppose in some ways he gets down time when I'm on nights as he wakes me at his usual walk times and I can just about make it out to throw the ball a bit before I need to go back to bed so he is out less but still sleeps through the night on his own and we have no accidents in the house

For real Rach?? Maybe it's just an excuse for laziness ? What next starving them in case they get fat ? I actually had a big operation and as  
The boarding guy disappear I manage to release myself from hospital in a day and although pupsky got shorter and less walkies then her usual for few days. I'm sure that was the best result for her as she stayed with me and i had speedy recovery. They are so understanding they just know when you are not well so no harm will happen if you can't go for long walks for a day or few as long as they can go toilet. And you can always get somebody to take them out instead of you.

Sometimes in winter we get non-stop rain down here and Madge hates it, so we don't walk but play indoors and she scoots to the garden for toilet. It's very rare though and I certainly wouldn't plan it. I always offer to mind friends' pooches so that if I ever had to, I could ask them to walk her.

i wish!sash will pester us till we take her!if we have some thing planned in the morning and dont go until the afternoon we cant make eye contact with her cos she gives you that look of feel sorry for me!saying that where she is getting older now one walk of 30-45 mins does her fine.

There has been the odd day where we haven't gone out for whatever reason but not planned in!

It sounds to me like it's an excuse to be lazy, Loki has had a day where he hasn't gone out before but that was due to horrendous weather and he wouldn't leave the house ahah

I think Milo would go dotty - he has so much energy but then I'm lucky in that I have a green on the front that stretches for about 1/2 mile and then theres 3 parks I can take him really near

Dont know about the theory of it but guess there are days when we are ill or dogs are that you cant get out. We always have play here anyway

Thank you for all of your replies! I certainly won't be missing any walks with Bug, I think i'd probably actually miss them more than her lol! Biscuit obviously has extra special needs, but I could only see that it would effect her negatively.