Dog Ownership and Regular Walking

The Alberta Centre for Active Living recently reported on a study that examined the relationship between dog ownership and regular walking. The purpose of this University of Victoria study was to find out whether a sense of responsibility for the health and well being of the dog is the cause of the relationship between physical activity and dog ownership.

The results of their studied revealed:
· dog owners spend more time walking than non-dog owners
· dog owners walked on average 300 minutes per week
· non-dog owners average 168 minutes of walking per week
· dog owners were also more likely to engage in mild or moderate activity than non-dog owners.

What conclusions should be drawn from this? Are dogs the newest exercise fad? The study showed that dog owners who feel a sense of responsibility or obligation for the health and well being of their dog are more likely to walk more. About 25% of dog owners were found to be not walking their dogs! The study’s results suggest that a caring relationship between the owner and the dog was the most important factor that led to increased exercise.

For more information on this study please visit the Alberta Centre for Active Living