My neighbour has a lab and I don't think he walks him enough, once every morning for about 20 mins.

Is this enough do you think?

My sis has a lab and she walks him more than that. Labs tend to have a lot of energy and he'd be racing around the house non-stop otherwise! If it's an older dog it may not need any more than that though. Do you know roughly how old the dog is?

Very much depends on the lab and the labs age. We have a retriever collie cross who we have been nursing alone all her life really doing little walks each day as unfortunately she has HD, it's fine to say a dog isn't getting enough exercise but unless you know exactly how well and how old that dog is you are not in a position to tell IMO. Several neighbours complained about Molliepops not getting enough exercise but our vet has just done her 11 year old annual check and reckons limiting her exercise was exactly what she needed and had we walked her more she would by now be on powerful painkillers or possibly been operated on or PTS.

Labradors are very much working dogs. They need certainly more then 20 minutes a day. They are also prone to overeat and gain weight easily. They are active, energetic dogs. I would say a MINIMUM of an Hour a day for walks. Ideally 3 hours a day.

How do you know this is the only walk he gets?

My neighbour said to me he's never seen me out with my dog, but she goes out regularly, rain or shine, it's just with out different routines, we never run into each other

I talk to him, he's a nice old guy who lives alone (lost his wife a couple of years ago), but he's a bit doddery, so even a 20 minute walk I'm guessing the dog doesn't go far.
The dog's lovely though, he's a black lab, don't think he's that old but he's getting a bit chunky.

I think maybe I'll offer to take him out for a walk when I get in from work, I should be able to do that most nights. Just don't want the pooch getting fat and sick, he's the old boy's best buddy Bit of exercise won't do me any harm either

A Labrador is essentially a working dog, in its prime it needs to work and that does not mean living in a town or city walking on the end of a lead, it needs an open space like a field or a beach where it can run about safely, free to explore. It needs something to do, some activity and lots of it. Even an elderly Lab needs this freedom to explore off a lead.

I feel sorry to see a Lab that does not have this freedom to run, it is like having a sports car with a powerful engine and just using it to go half a mile down the road to the supermarket to do the weekly shop.

I adopted a four year old black lab two years ago from a loving but unfortunate home background where he was left for up to 12 hours at a time with little exercise. He was very over weight at the time.

I only meant to home him for a while and then find a better home - but in the end - we fell in love with each other.

I have mobility problems and so have a professional dog walker who has him for three hours three times a week. During that time he runs with other dogs and is totally socialised.

The other four days a week I try to get out when I can with him. Unfortunately - he won't roam and run, but sticks closely to me despite throwing balls etc. Yes, he needs exercise - but his loyalty to me seems to be his main priority.

The good part is that through careful diet - he has now shed 25% of his body weight and has just been pronounced at a healthy weight by my vet. I look forward to many happy years with him.

I would therefore say that for any healthy lab - there must be a careful balance between diet, exercise and a loving family background. As in the rare days that he doesn;t go out, he retreats happily to my bed and snores his socks off! He is also an utter wimp when it is raining.

Key to me is does the dog look happy or not in the scheme of things a well loved dog with little exercise is much better than a dog being tortured on a daily basis which is what happens to some dogs.

That's a really nice idea. It will certainly help the old fella keeping his companion fitter and less prone to having to visit the vet often. It's a shame more neighbours weren't like this OP.

That's a great idea - if you mention to him that he'd be doing you a favour (exercise for you), you'll be less likely to offend him.

That's what I did, I told him I needed motivation to get me exercising so he was happy to let me have Lachy the lab a few times a week

Took him for a run yesterday (on his lead, too frightened of losing him!) twice around the local playing field, we were both knackered but we def needed it

Not nearly enough time .

Does the dog destroy things in the house when he's left alone ?

My 20 week old Lab gets 2 hour and a half walks a day .And he still doesn't sleep .

And you're overexercising him a this age, and yes this is a professional pov.

Also meant to add, at any age, walks or runs are only one form of exercise. any dog will benefit from training and mental stimulation, in full view of the neighbours or behind closed doors.

Got into the habit now, pick him up at 7 every other night and take him for a run around for half an hour or so, he loves it.

He's very well looked after at home though, there was never any worries there.

When I had my lab, my dad took him for a walk up the hills/woods everyday twice a day for an hour and half which he loved as he was free off the lead and he could run and look about as labs love to do, and then i took him for smaller 40 min/hour walk first thing in the morning and on a evening just to stretch his legs. He loved going out as much as he could get and any other opportunity he was out with us too.

Labs love getting out and just boring lead walks a hour or so a day is certainly not enough. We had no problems with him, he never destroyed anything he was perfectly behaved (for a lab ) and he was so fit and healthy. I also think anyone getting a lab or any big working type dog need to think carefully about it first, they might look cute but you have to really think if your lifestyle can fit in so much time to get them out and about.

Dogs and "exercise": It's not just about exercise but life experience. How many people would be happy to stay in their house and garden the entire time apart from being taken out for half an hour a day, often tied to someone so that there is no opportunity to explore ("shop around") or change their pace? It can't be right, can it?

Awww virtual hug for you. Such a lovely thing to do

Depends on the dog really I had one who was allergic to grass, and another a few years ago who was agrophobic, neither went out often one because the red raw itching was pitiful to witness and the other because unless we dragged him out screaming he just wouldn't go.

Yes. I was in a similar position, our previous neighbour had Labrador and he didn't take it out for walks often enough. The result, he left it out in his front garden, and every time I went in and out of the tenement it was barking like hell at me (I'm scared of most dogs).

Thank you

Dogs are not the same as humans. Left to their own devices, they'll go for a sniff outside, maybe a walk down the road, hoke in a bin then back to bed for 9 hours. To constantly take a dog out, say to doggy day care or something for life experience, in my opinion would unsettle the dog. They need a routine and are generally very content to be comfortable, fed, warm and with company.

I do agree they can be very happy like that, but have to say we increased our oldies walking (not distance but just taking her different places) and she came alive and was obviously much happier. She will sleep all day given a chance but put her in the car and take her to one of her favourite walks and she is almost euphoric.