Question
I take my four-month-old puppy on about three walks per day. The walks are almost always a 15-20 minute loop starting at my house. It goes through several neighborhoods, a park, and on a waterfront trail. It's a convenient, quiet, scenic, and easy walk. Because of this, about 85% of the walks per week are this walk, or a slight variation (such as an extension or short-cut). My dog and I also sometimes drive to a beach or trail, but because of COVID 19, this is less frequent.
My dog seems to enjoy the walk in question, but I want to make sure:
Can/do dogs get bored of a walk?
Answer
Without being able to cite any sources, the general answer is no.
I've heard that many dogs enjoy walking the same path every day, because
- It gives them a routine and they know what to expect. Especially anxious dogs feel safer when they can predict what's going to happen.
- Dogs have much more sensory input than humans. For example, they smell who was there since the last time. That makes the same old path less boring for them.
- Wild dogs would patrol the borders of their territory in regular intervals. Taking the same walk every day might feel like that for your dog.
That being said, there's also nothing wrong with changing routes and exploring new paths every day. You just don't have to if you don't want to.
Answered By - Elmy