Dogs as Support and Motivation for Physical Activity

Abstract

Physical activity behavior change theorists are actively shifting the field to better align with the science of motivation and decision making. With this shift has come increasing interest in the role of affective judgments, habit, and identity in long-term physical activity maintenance, as well as the importance of framing physical activity in ways that protect autonomy and support personal values. This special communication makes the case for dog walking as a physical activity modality that fits well with the field's new focus. The authors provide an overview of dog walking research performed to date and discuss unanswered research questions. Given the large percentage of U.S. households that own a dog and the mainstream animal welfare movement to rehome adoptable shelter pets, there are innumerable opportunities to leverage the human-dog bond to increase physical activity levels. Dog walking interventions may be a highly practical approach to population-level physical activity promotion.

Examining the Contribution of Dog Walking to Total Daily Physical Activity Among Dogs and Their Owners

“…Mutual risk factors, like physical inactivity, provide opportunities for joint intervention. This study employed rigorous PA assessment methods to demonstrate that dog walking is a moderate-vigorous intensity form of PA and that dogs and dog owners rely on each other for daily PA. Our findings contribute to a growing body of dog walking literature (Potter & Sartore-Baldwin, 2019) and illustrate the concept of One Health by demonstrating the interdependence of human and companion animal health. Larger studies with more diverse samples are needed to confirm these findings and inform PA interventions.…”

“…Many studies have investigated dogs as motivators of regular physical activity (PA) for dog owners (Potter & Sartore-Baldwin, 2019). Meta-analyses have demonstrated that dog owners engage in more walking and PA than non-dog owners (Christian et al, 2013) and that dog owners who walk their dogs are more likely to meet aerobic PA guidelines than those who do not (Soares et al, 2015).…”

The Concerns, Difficulties, and Stressors of Caring for Pets during COVID-19: Results from a Large Survey of U.S. Pet Owners

“…Pet ownership is often portrayed as beneficial in terms of physical activity and physical health. Indeed, pet ownership is often associated with increased physical activity, particularly in terms of dog walking [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Companion animals may also provide stress-buffering benefits for adults and youth; there is emerging evidence of the potential for companion animals to increase oxytocin [ 10 , 11 , 12 ] and regulate cortisol levels [ 13 , 14 ], thus attenuating the stress-response system (i.e., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) [ 15 ].…”

Examining Obedience Training as a Physical Activity Intervention for Dog Owners: Findings from the Stealth Pet Obedience Training (SPOT) Pilot Study

“…The stealth approach tested in this study has potential for high reach as, by some estimates, nearly 50% of American households have a dog [9]. Furthermore, dog walking may be a particularly sustainable form of PA to promote, as it serves a purpose and lends itself well to habit formation [55]. Other strengths of this study include the rigorous randomized design and use of objective measures of PA.…”