For the 17-and-a-half years I’ve been a mother, very few people have ever enquired how often I take my three children out for fresh air. But in the six months I’ve been mother to Ronnie, the maltipoo, I get asked about his exercise regime on a weekly, if not daily, basis. What I have gleaned from these conversations is that the more time you spend outdoors with your dog, the better a dog owner (and human being) you are deemed to be.