I have a working cocker that would be bouncing off the walls if he didn't have a walk as WELL as stimulation and quality time.
I don't call that obsession I call that part of my dog ownership responsibilities of having this breed and strain of dog
I agree Helen - you have a selectively bred working cocker
My "obsession" was based around that fact that I believed that HAD to walk my dog every day - even though he didn't enjoy it that much - because imo, that was the done thing by dog owners
It took Marks comment that I have quoted for me to realise that actually, all dogs are different, and my dog didn't bounce off the walls if I didn't traipse around the streets with him as long as he was offered a range of stimulation and exercise
That might include setting up weaves in the kitchen as well as other games and activities to keep him thinking
Bonnee needs a different sort and level of stimulation to Molo - she is far clever
I am not suggesting that dogs are not walked for weeks at a time; but a successful show dog will inevitiably receive significant levels of stimulation and training in order to perform at their best in the ring, and so if they don't go out the day before the show in order to keep their coat clean, then I don't see how that can be considered irresponsible
I know of loads of dogs who get walked the same route, on lead, every day at the same time, with no interaction with their owners; just because a dog is walked every day, doesn't mean that they are stimulated