Can less outdoor walking and indoor potty harm my dog's health?

Walking is good for dogs because it keeps their weight down, and their body strong. Because Bruno is a German Shepherd, their exercise requirements are higher because they are active dogs. He should be getting at least 30 minutes twice a day of exercise, but it's fine to keep it shorter when it is hot outside. You can't exercise him too much in the heat because it will lead to heat stroke, which is deadly. There are dogs who don't get much exercise and still lead full lives, so I wouldn't listen to your friend. But that doesn't mean Bruno wouldn't benefit from more exercise when it's cooler outside. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In your first post you indicated that you and Bruno walked miles, so I think cutting it down just a little bit may help. If you can be more specific about at which point in the walk (which mile or how many minutes) he wants to turn around that would be helpful. I have never heard of short walks or no walks shortening the life span of a dog. Obesity shortens the life span of dogs. Exercise is healthy for the body and mind. If Bruno doesn't want to walk for miles at a time then try a dog park, or playing Frisbee or throwing a ball. If you want to push the walks then take breaks to let him stop and sniff or throw the ball or rough house for 5-10 mins then resume your walk. I hope this helps and I hope you have a great day!

Generally we recommend dogs be walked regularly for all the reasons you described. Regular exercise is good for their mental and physical well being. Dogs that are exercised regularly are generally better behaved at home. I would not say that walking increases their life span, as there can be lots of factors that influence the life span of a dog. However, we do know that overweight dogs on average have a shorter lifespan as they tend to have more health issues as they age. I would try to get Bruno on a walking schedule if possible. It depends on his energy level as to whether or not he needs to go for a walk every day, or only needs to go a few times a week. He definitely needs to go outside regularly to urinate and defecate.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! How many times he needs to be walked outside depends on the dog. If once a day works for him and he is at a healthy weight then that is fine. If you think he may need to lose some weight then more frequent walks such as twice or three times a day would be better. Best of luck!

I'm sorry you've been sick, hope you feel better soon! Bruno will be fine having missed his walk for the past four days, it will not affect his life span or cause him to have any disease. You don't need to worry, just rest up and feel better :-)

I am sorry, the phrasing of your question is a little confusing. I am not sure what your question is. If you are asking if there are consequences to training him to use the bathroom inside now, then it is possible if you have trained him to potty inside he may not want to potty outside on walks without being trained to do so. Perhaps rephrasing your question or a consultation would be a better option for you if you cannot fit all necessary information into this format.

In general, it should be fine to walk Bruno either once or twice a day. The number or length of his walks will not have any impact on whether he develops cancer later in life, unfortunately - cancer development is not related to exercise in dogs.