If they develop anxiety and/or nervous habits like chewing on themselves and physical reason have been eliminated, then its likely they need actually be walked regularly to drain excess energy.
A big backyard is nothing more than a big cage.
sorry but i completely disagree! right now i have open land, but i did have a considerably large closed in backyard in phoenix and i ran my dogs till they were panting hard and they'd walk over to the glass door and lay down to be let back in, as they had enough. you think walking, maybe a mile all together (if that) with a dog restricted on a leash is the same as letting a dog run and chase freely in a large space till they are so pooped they want to go back inside???? sorry, but i disagree. my dogs get way more excercise when i play fetch with them in an open area than any walk. they are exerting far more energy. a lot of dogs enjoy a large but closed in area, they feel safe and they feel like that is there own private little territory. i thought when i moved here the dogs were going to go nuts over having open land, but really, they tend to stay close by the house as if there was a huge brick wall.
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