We spend a lot of time walking dogs.
We have three dogs and we live in a townhouse without a fenced yard. So anytime the dogs go out, they must be accompanied by at least one human.
We divide dog walks into categories.
Type A: Taking the dogs for a "piddle" (a quick stop outside to empty their bladders) requires just a minute or two, depending on how long it takes for the human to dress for the weather. Piddle walks happen three times a day (first thing in the morning, right before dinner -- as soon as we get home from work, and right before bedtime.)
3 piddle walks x 3 dogs = 9 per day, 63 per week. Assuming 1 minute per walk that's about an hour per week.
Type B: Full walks provide opportunities for exercise and elimination. The dogs get three full walks a day: after breakfast, midday and after lunch. Full walks range in length from 10 to 20 minutes. Each dog is walked solo.
3 full walks x 3 dogs = 9 per day, 63 per week. Assuming 15 minutes per walk, that almost 16 hours a week of dog walking.
But we have some help. Weekdays, our dog walkers are responsible for the midday jaunt. That's almost 4 hours we don't have to do. So it brings the full walk total down to 12 hours per week, and total walking time to 13 hours.
Three to four times per week, two of our dogs run off-leash instead of being walked. It's good for them, but it actually take more time than walking.
Anyway you look at it, we spend a lot of time walking dogs. Even so, I bet our dogs would like more.
