Study Shows that Dog Owners are More Active

A survey of 385 households was conducted in July-August 2015 to compare the activity level of those with pets and those without. Dog owners were far more likely than non-dog owners to report walking for recreation and also were more likely to walk longer. The odds of dog owners meeting current physical activity guidelines of 150 mins per week were four times greater than for non-dog owners. Children with dogs reported more minutes of walking and free-time activity. Dog ownership is associated with more recreational walking and considerably greater odds of meeting recommended physical activity guidelines.