Where do you go with your dogs?

[crazedACD]

I'm just bored .

Where do you take your dogs, for exercise/training?

Walking/hiking, do you have to go to a designated park, or is there 'free land' you use? Do you have to drive there, or can you walk from your house?

What about training, particularly if you 'seriously' train, say for obedience/agility/IPO etc etc? Do you do things differently winter vs summer? Are you in a club, training facility, or do you train on your own, where do you do it?

 

[ruffiangirl]

Where we live now there isn't a whole lot, we have paths through the parks, but none of them are lighted, it gets dark at 5pm right now.
But when we move the dog park is down the street :hail: and we will be across from these trails as well http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/Assets...y+Services/Parks/PDF/Birchwood+Trails+Map.pdf

 

[Shakou]

It depends what part on the country we're in, but usually we'll take them to some deserted public land areas where we never see anyone, and let them off leash to run. We have in laws with land that we take them to when in the area as well.

 

[sassafras]

For exercise... for Pip, we have a lovely off leash dog park on acreage in the woods very close by. For the youngsters, there are a surprising amount of public trails in a couple of nearby state parks we can use for skijoring/scootering. I have to drive to both, but the dog park is maybe a 5-10 minute drive and depending on which park I go to anywhere from a 15-60 minute drive.

My city has some really nice walking trails, too, for "normal" walks, and they actually play with each other in the yard so if worse comes to worst I can just toss them out there and let them chase/ wrestle/ zoomie.

For training... Pip and Maisy are really just at home at this point. I take Squash to a local club for nosework and Rally, but I tend to go to Rally less in the winter just because driving is a bit more of a pain and I tend to skijor more in the winter than we scooter in the summers so they are more physically active.

 

[Linds]

For exercise I tend to bike places if possible.

I'll bike with them using a bike path to a reservoir where I can stop and let them swim and a huge hill we can play fetch up and down. The ride there is two miles then one mile around the reservoir so at minimum it's five mile bike with swim in the middle. Then if I feel like it from there I can bike to a dock that's about 1/3 of a mile away.

I have a few places like that including a school with a field that I use for disc practice.

Then there is the dog park which is a forest preserve so it's hiking and swimming there.

I tend not to do any leash walking really, either biking (with them pulling or not, changed around) or free running.

I also go to disc playdates held bi-monthly during the winter when I can. Competition season is during the summer/fall so I'm using the winter to brush up on my tricks and work on new routines. During the winter I tend to do a lot more indoor tricks and working out new things.

 

[Oko]

I live fifteen minutes walking distance from a beach that allows dogs any time but summer, I live down the street from a golf course everyone takes their dogs to in the winter and use that too. There's also a park I've taken Feist once to, it's a forty minute walk, maybe 8 minute bus ride? I don't drive so that rules out a lot. And my backyard is alright sized and fenced in, that's helpful.

 

[crazedACD]

Then there is the dog park which is a forest preserve so it's hiking and swimming there.

I was thinking of you when I made this, I like that spot you go to.

I'm really wishing there was more open land here, or more interesting spots. I spent a few seasons hiking at all designated state parks within 45 minutes or so, and it's just all the same..wooded trail, one scenic spot, done. I look at photos from people in Colorado or even the deserts and think it is just so much more beautiful, I like the open space, with mountains and rivers and whatnot. When I went down to PA there was even just all these open areas you could probably use, nice fields and streams. Not so much here! There is one spot I do trespass on, it's owned by the town and kind of open, but still gets old. There's another park that is about 40 minutes, it's beautiful/interesting, but half the time you go either the rivers have flooded and it's impassable, or it is hunting season.

Also, training, I'm so wishing I had a garage or a decent basement or something to work out of. The cold bothers me so much. It'd be nice to have an indoor space I could throw a ball without freezing. Agility training is stopped for the winter because they work out of a riding arena, and it is no better temperature than outside. I met someone and we've talked about starting some tracking, but just the thought of being outside for a few hours when it is 10F is just...eh. The dogs don't like it either!

 

[Linds]

I was thinking of you when I made this, I like that spot you go to.

.....

Also, training, I'm so wishing I had a garage or a decent basement or something to work out of. The cold bothers me so much. It'd be nice to have an indoor space I could throw a ball without freezing. Agility training is stopped for the winter because they work out of a riding arena, and it is no better temperature than outside. I met someone and we've talked about starting some tracking, but just the thought of being outside for a few hours when it is 10F is just...eh. The dogs don't like it either!

I like the spot I go too I'm really lucky having that so close and admit I'm pretty spoiled because I can't imagine not having it and having dogs. I'm also glad I've gotten to share it in person with half of Chaz.

And I agree about indoor training. I'm working on converting part of the basement into a training place. It won't be huge but I'm hoping to get some padded flooring and room to work on tricks.

Because winter sucks. Though, it's pushing me to do all the core strength work I neglect during the rest of the year.

 

[Southpaw]

We go to the local dog park quite a bit. Not necessarily to play with other dogs because none of mine are interested in that. But it's a little woodsy and is essentially just a walking path around a pond, with one large open area where the dogs play - so when we go, we just walk around the pond a bunch of times and the dogs run around. I like that they get off leash exercise in a fenced in park, and that I'm able to keep moving as well so that I don't get bored.

For other off leash stuff, I take them to the neighborhood baseball field. Sometimes we walk there, most often I drive because I usually bring my camera. We go here a lot because it's convenient, but it's not my favorite because it's pretty boring (for me! lol). This is where I do most of my "away from the house" training. Especially recall training.

Most leashed walks are just through the neighborhood. We have some nice walking paths but leash walks are pretty "meh" for my guys, so if I'm going to drive somewhere I prefer it to be to a place where they can blow off some energy.

 

[noludoru]

We go to Cherry Creek park. They can stay on leash at the lake or on trails, and roam endlessly at the dog park. It's a 25-minute drive.

For on-leash stuff, I have biked the neighborhood with Bay and go on walls and runs with Middie down an extensive public trail system.

 

[AmandaNola]

For off leash time/recall practice, we go to the off leash beach that's a 15-30 minute drive from the house.
For proofing we go downtown, or to stores like Lowes or Tractor Supply.

For training, I just do it where ever we are. The training/dog club here is terrible, so I do it all on my own.

 

[Assamiea]

We have 2 elementary schools (one public and one catholic) less than 5 minutes walking from my house that we use for exercise. The catholic school has a smaller paved yard so we don't use it that often, but the public school has a large green space. The only time we can't use the public school yard is when they have baseball or tball games because Rocky believes that every ball is his ball. There really aren't any dog parks that close to my house, but if there was we would use it.

We do have a ton of hiking trails near my house (within 5 minutes drive from my house), but since I have small dogs we don't really use them because of coyotes.

 

[SpringerLover]

There's a little ball field/park that's about a five minute walk from our apartment where I let Gabby run around.

We can walk the hospital loop on leash, the longest way is about 2 miles, the shortest about 3/4 of a mile.

I very rarely use the dog park because I always seem to encounter dogs who can't be recalled and bother my dogs. But I use the open space next to the dog park an awful lot.

And, I sometimes travel to the big fancy dog park about half an hour away because it is so amazing.

As far as training-tonight I finally had the realization I could use the parking garage. I felt stupid for not thinking of that sooner!

 

[Tortilla]

I usually take Seamus to the river trail about a fifteen minute walk from my house. It's lovely and there's so much space and lots to do. There's also a reservoir at the end of my street that I really should start going to more.

We don't really go to the dog park because obnoxious dogs.

 

[Toller_08]

I wish I had free land/non-dog park land to walk them, but I don't, so I go to a dog park near my house. But it's basically a giant forest/field/hills that goes for miles. It's huge and beautiful and spacious and is pretty much the only thing I like about living where I currently do. I still have to be smart about taking all four on certain days/times when I know there'll be more people than usual, but most of the time it's easy to go and avoid people and dogs entirely.

That's pretty much the only place I go to run my dogs now. It's within walking distance and I can walk through not even a quarter of the park for 2 hours. I love it. Sometimes my friends and I will rent a field outside of the city with all of our dogs - you pay a certain fee and can take as many dogs there as you want for an hour or so (or however long you book it I think) and won't run into anybody else. Perfect for when we have all of our dogs together and just want to go for a relaxing walk together.

I rarely go for leashed walks. I get bored, the dogs are still pretty full of energy by the time we get home, and it's just not worth it to me. I would bike with my dogs if it wasn't illegal here. I could probably get away with it anyway, but I don't want to risk a fine. I don't really train anywhere other than than the two facilities we go to for Flyball and Agility. I should make an effort to train more in different pet stores and whatnot for general manners and obedience training, and I should go downtown more often, but it's hard when you don't have a vehicle and everything takes an eternity on transit. I don't mind as much in the summer, but I'm kind of a hermit in the winter haha. I hate the cold and the ice. But even in the winter I do all of the above (walk in the giant dog park, train for Flyball [in a daycare facility] and Agility [in a barn] and rent that park with my friends on occasion). I just don't venture out to too many public places for training like pet stores and stuff. That's for summer. And also in the summer I tend to go for more on leash walks in local provincial parks because they're pretty.

 

[Laurelin]

For the most part we go to our training place an our usual park. The park is 400 acres with a couple open and usually empty areas. If its busy there's five miles of leashed trails free to use. It's a 5-10 min drive. Invaluable for Mia's well being. She needs run off leash a few times a week. In other parts of the year we may spend an hour a day there every day. Or more. Winter is tough.

We do leashed neighborhood walks rarely. Mostly when Mia wants out of the house and I have no time.

For training we go to the agility field no matter the weather. We've also been renting out various places for nosework practices every weekend. Fairgrounds, parks, wherever theyll let us. We have a nice size group coming now too. If we do a fun run or seminar it's usually at the agility place. The agility place also has walking trails and 50 acres fenced in field for free use.

My dad also has 40 acres we go to some but it's a 20 min drive. There is a on leash park we go to some but it's usually crowded. Mia likes the squirrels there

 

[Torch]

I hand walk my boys nearly every day, for at least 45 minutes. We live in a suburban part of the city so it's all walking through neighborhoods. It's a little boring, but the dogs love because there are so many places to go. Walking them each evening is the perfect way for me to wind down each day after work. There's three places we walk to often where I can let them off leash to run.

About 2-3 times a week we walk up to a small church that has a fenced in playground with a decent sized grassy area. They mostly play and run but also climb around on the playground equipment.

Once or twice week we walk up to the local high school (about a 15 minute walk) and walk the track or run the stadium stairs. Sometimes they play on the tennis court or the football field. There's also a large cemetery that we walk to that has a large, cleared area in the back for future grave sites. That backs up to a large wooded hill that they love to explore on.

A few times a month I'll take them to some scenic parks that are within 15-20 minutes drive. Sometimes they can be off leash, but often I just keep them on long lines, depending how remote the hiking trails are. I haven't done any serious hiking with Rhys yet, but there are tons of pretty areas around here that I'm planning on taking him to next year.

Because Rhys is young and high-energy we also play at home a lot: fetch, tug, flirt pole, and basic obedience. I do all my training at home, for fun and manners mostly. I work long hours so going to a training facility isn't feasible. Rhys shows a lot of aptitude for obedience and other sports; I'm hoping I can train him myself and compete in various venues.

I don't do dog parks because of rude dogs and also because I own a bull breed. Personally I think they have no business being there; the opportunity for a fight is too high. Not saying a bulldog will always start the fight, but they will most likely finish it.

 

[yv0nne]

I think I'm incredibly lucky. I live in one of the most beautiful places. Tons of forests, hiking trails, beaches& everything else and almost all of it is designated 'dogs on leash' but they are never around to fine people& most people are pleasant to offleash dogs as long as you ahve voice ontrol!

For training, me& Briar's owner train alone. No one else on the island competing ..we rent a barn in the winter& train 3 nights a week + in the summer we train in my parents backyard!

 

[AllieMackie]

Mostly, just in our decent-sized fenced yard and the nearby park. It has a large unfenced field that is off leash friendly, and now that Finn is becoming more reliable off leash finally, it's a nice spot for fetch/training/bubbles.

For leash walking, I have a ton of gorgeous places a five minute drive away, so we go on picnics and things quite a bit. My favourite close-by walking spot is called Hog's Back. Nice trails, waterfalls, busy-but-not-too-busy.

Tons of trails in Ottawa for on and off leash hiking, but none particularly nearby. We go to a superb, quiet Greenbelt trail about half an hour away periodicially when the weather is nice, with some of our dog pals.

 

[Snark]

The only off leash dog park around here is pathetic - small area and nobody seems to know how to pick up after their dogs. Riley was just stressed by the whole experience, so we don't do that anymore. I used to walk the road by our house, day or night, before they paved it. Now it's too dangerous, it's hilly and our county, in their infinite wisdom, took away the shoulders and put in 3ft deep ditches on both sides of the road so there's no place to go if a car is coming.
I can walk my neighbor's 60 acres but with leaving for work in the dark and getting home in the dark, that cuts down a lot, except for weekends. Our fenced yard is fairly large (a couple of acres) so I get out the Jolly ball (and flashlight) or the glow balls for fetch after work. Riley's the only one who has to run every day (or he's an obnoxious brat), and he's more inclined to zoom around if I'm there to cheer him on. Murph helps by trying to ambush him, making Riley zoom even more.
Money's been a little tight, so haven't been to agility classes (instructor knows the people at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, and when it gets really cold, moves her classes to their indoor facility). I have my home equipment, and I'll train on weekends. Sis and I are thinking about running more wire and rigging floodlights on the side of the barn to shine into my agility area so I could do a little work when it's dark (but not too frigid).
I picked up a Nosework dvd but haven't watched it yet. Riley was pretty much a fail at Nosework at the Canine Games but there were a lot of distractions there and I don't think he knew out what he was supposed to do. I do think he would have been better finding a mouse than a can of cat food.