German Dog Laws

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53845255#:~:text=Dog owners in Germany will,to come in next year.

I am not a dog owner, but expecting owners to walk their dog twice a day for an hour at a time seems excessive. I get some breeds will need more exercise than others. I don't get how it can be policed.

 

I do agree that dogs shouldn't be left home alone all day but a minimum of one hour at a time seems excessive to be the law. What if the dog is old and tires easily? My dogs growing up were small and even when at peak age would struggle with that length if it was even moderately warm. It'd be even harder to police but it should maybe be a minimum amount of exercise a day and then it could be broken up into smaller segments.

 

Bonkers. I've a cockapoo who could run all day but he gets nowhere near 2 hours a day as a) we don't have the time and b) he doesn't need it. He usually gets around 40 minutes per day in total and he's rarely left alone for longer than a couple of hours so he's hardly neglected. Plus, when it's warm he's knackered after 10 minutes because he's got a thick, curly black coat and it would do him far more harm than good to walk him for an hour on a nice summer's day. Cockapoos are known for joint problems too so we don't want to knacker is legs up for old age.

 

A. Seems excessive.
B. Can't police it.
C. Yet another example of ridiculous decisions being made by politicians

 

Just send for @John Peachy. He'll sort you out.

(note - other dog-walking services are available)

 

Just had a quick look, and it seems to be "twice a day for a total of at least one hour" - so the total walks per day are over an hour, not each (of two) walks. This might be a translation issue.

 

Yes, that's correct I believe. Twice a day for total of one hour. I'm in Germany and I have a dog. It's only a draft bill and it seems unlikely that it will pass in its current form. There's some stuff sensible in there, other stuff ridiculous and impossible to police. Generally though, dogs do need more exercise. Just as most humans do. If the news has scared a few owners or made them feel guilty about how little exercise their dogs gets then at least that's positive.

 

My dog only has one walk a day and is perfectly happy with whatever length it is. Seems a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut sort of a law.

 

The authorities seem to be barking up the wrong tree with this one

 

If its raining my little dog walks to the back door, sticks her head out, looks up at me, shakes her head and totters back to her basket. I think we know what our dog needs plus they will let us know. Bad dog owners the laws won't make any difference anyway.

 

Just been house sitting a cockerpoo & cavapoo all week. Owner coming back today. We've been doing about 8 miles a day, although owner back at lunchtime & it's pissing it down here in Leeds, so will just be an hour this morning, as i need to have them bathed before they get back.

 

Our dog refuses to do any business in the back garden, so gets about 4-5 walks per day even if some of them are only to the nearest poo bin (about 200 yards).

 

I think you need to look at his diet if he needs 5 shits a day.

 

I presume he was including wees in that too. Btw @Scoff, if you give it long enough then it will do it in your back garden. You may not be bothered about training it but if you are:

* Teach it a word that means ‘go toilet’, do this by watching your dog and as soon as it starts doing any business (try and time it for the second before it actually starts), say the word. When it finishes, praise it excitedly and give it a treat.
* Keep doing this for a few days, saying the word and giving a treat every single time
* Once it knows the word, take your dog on the lead into the back garden and say the word. The word is a prompt not a command so it doesn’t have to do it. Try saying it a few times if it gets distracted. If it doesn’t want to, just bring it back inside calmly with no praise or treat.
* From now on, do not take your dog for a walk until it has done its business in your back garden. Try taking it out there every few hours. Depending on how much your dog likes treats this may take 24 hours but it WILL do it. When it does, give massive praise and a few treats at once.
* Stick to back garden only for a few days. Once it does it happily on the prompt, reintroduce walks but take it out in the back garden first before you go so it doesn’t need it on the walk and won’t get back into the habit.

Obviously, you may not care so ignore all that It’s a big part of guide dog training teaching them not to do any business on walks. When we first go Bobbie, who we had recently for 10 days, she would only do one wee and poo (at the same time) every 28ish hours as she preferred grass (not allowed) and we were really worried for the first 3 days but she was doing it happily by the end.

 

Believe me, in the early days of lockdown we tried but she wouldn't go - to the extent it was making her unwell and I ended up having to sneak her out first thing and last thing when we were only allowed out once per day... !

 

She would have done, honestly but I can totally understand why you would worry and sneak her out (I actually did that with Bobbie the first two days too until Guide Dogs convinced me that she was fine and can just hold it for a really long time). I’d say it took us a full week to get her doing it happily and she would wait 24-30 hours in between doing anything at all for the first 3-4 days. She knew we’d give in eventually so she kept waiting until we were determined that we wouldn’t let her on the grass and she had no choice. Once the first time is out of the way, it’s about making the prize bigger than the fear.

 

Of course she refuses to do any business in the garden, it's unprofessional.

You need to get her a desk like this

 

Dogs are funny. As a pup obviously he went in the garden, wouldn't go on a walk at all, waited until we got home. Not quite sure why he then did it on a walk but then wouldn't in the garden. Now hes the grand old age of almost 3 he will do it in the garden on the rare occasions he really needs to.

 

They all have their own personalities just like.we do. Might sound a bit naff but they need respecting for what they are. My dog is a terrific individual. They have no power and rely totally on their owners. Perhaps in some ways an analogy for BLM. (yes I know there's no ownership but you know what I mean...a power thing).