Can a dog die without being on a walk?

the dog is 2 years old and is a shi tzu very tiny. i watch and see that his owners rarely take him on a walk maybe once a month. Is that bad for the little dog? whenever i ask to take him out on a walk he wont ever quit tugging on the leash. good thing though he is outside in a fenced backyard half the day. but since of the rainy snowy whaeather of where i live some days he only goes out for a wuick second to pee.