Lost my walking partner

We were working up to 5 miles a day, now the dog doesn’t want to go more than 2. He’s starting to be how Rita was. It makes me sad. I guess walks are too boring for him now. I always say German Shepherds are too smart for me. He probably wants more mentally stimulating exercise. Well, I can’t provide that. I can get us out in the sunshine for 10-15 miles a day or run for 3. That’s it. Guess I can run him for one mile every morning and then send him back home with his weakened people (one has gout all the time and the other is sick for unknown reasons…all the time). When I move back home, that’s it; no one else will take him on these walks. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Honestly, though, it’s kind of lonely when a dog doesn’t even want to go for a walk with you.

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NativePortlander1970 ·

The most likely problem is your dog's hips are starting to hurt, German Shepherds have that issue when they get older, my Grandparents and other relatives had about 20 of them when I was growing up and into my adulthood, around 8 to 9 years of age they get arthritis, so don't get mad at them for your own ignorance.

Colonelmustardseed · 36-40

@NativePortlander1970 He’s only about 3. It’s so sad that that could be his future though; that so many of them are prone to that.

NativePortlander1970 ·

@Colonelmustardseed That's the problems with specific breeding, it affects their body parts they engineer, for example the pug breeds, like French bulldogs and Boston terriers, their nasal passages are severely fucked up because they're bred for their short snouts, most suffocate to death.

NativePortlander1970 ·

@Colonelmustardseed As for German Shepherds, they were bred to be jumpers to catch people on the run for the military and police, so they focused on strengthening their hips, which over time causes the arthritis.