A German agricultural minister is reportedly advocating a new 'Dogs Act', in which owners of the almost 9.5 million dogs in that country, will be required to exercise their pooch twice a day for 1 hour each time (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/19/germans-must-walk-their-dogs-twice-a-day-new-law-will-say). It is certainly true (as she maintains) that some dogs receive too little physical exercise and not enough environmental stimulation. Pets can get overweight which also increases their disease risk, as well as that of their owners. However, prescribing things so absolutely takes no account of a) variability in dogs (size, age and health); b) the different physical abilities of dog owners (time doesn't obviously correspond to the amount of exercise), c) where the dog lives (an animal confined to a small flat has a very different experience from one with a large garden to roam in) and d) isn't this a boost for commercial dog walkers? Obvious additional questions about this law include "who is going to stand around with a stop-watch monitoring each dog?". Also, as the health of some people would be impaired by taking away their pet: do we even want to consider it at this time? And, finally, what about the impact of increased dog walking on social distancing in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic?
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