The Long-Term Influence of Puppy Acquisition on Physical Activity: Results of a 3-Year, Longitudinal, Pilot Study

Abstract

Dog ownership has been associated with increased levels of physical activity (PA), including increases in total PA and walking time in some but not in all studies. These earlier studies did not consider puppy acquisition, in particular, and were limited to a maximum of 10 months duration. The purpose of the current pilot study was, therefore, to analyze long-term changes in participants’ PA behavior after puppy acquisition. Participants who acquired a puppy from one of nine preselected breeds differing in size and energy level were included. PA was assessed at baseline and 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after puppy acquisition using an online questionnaire. Participants, who were initially included, did not differ in their PA at baseline (n = 38). In the group that completed the trial (n = 11) total PA, leisure time walking, total dog-related PA, and total dog walking increased within the first two years and decreased while remaining above baseline values during the last year, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-dog-related PA did not change over time. We conclude that the acquisition of a puppy increases PA and thus, could have a long-lasting positive effect on physical health.

Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children’s movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study

“…Our findings support the limited evidence in adults finding dog acquisition was positively associated with increased physical activity [ 31 , 33 – 36 ]. However, most of these studies had small samples [ 33 – 36 ], three did not adjust for confounders [ 33 , 34 , 36 ], and two had no comparison group [ 34 , 36 ]. One large longitudinal study which employed a natural experiment similar to the current study found leisure-time walking increased by 31 min per week at 12-month follow-up after dog acquisition [ 31 ].…”

“…One large longitudinal study which employed a natural experiment similar to the current study found leisure-time walking increased by 31 min per week at 12-month follow-up after dog acquisition [ 31 ]. The only study with more than one year of follow-up [ 34 ] found very large increases in weekly leisure-time walking and total physical activity (> 4 h each) at three years following puppy acquisition, however there was no control group. In this study, girls who acquired a dog increased their participation light intensity activities and games by 52 min per day and girls and boys who acquired a dog increased their unstructured physical activity by 7 occasions per week.…”

“…Even among adults there are few longitudinal studies on the effects of dog acquisition on physical activity [ 31 , 33 – 36 ]. Five studies report increases in walking practices [ 31 , 33 , 34 ], daily steps [ 35 , 36 ], or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [ 36 ] following dog acquisition. However, most longitudinal studies have been limited by small sample sizes and lack of adjustment for potential confounding variables [ 33 – 36 ], and two had no comparison group [ 34 , 36 ].…”

“…Five studies report increases in walking practices [ 31 , 33 , 34 ], daily steps [ 35 , 36 ], or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [ 36 ] following dog acquisition. However, most longitudinal studies have been limited by small sample sizes and lack of adjustment for potential confounding variables [ 33 – 36 ], and two had no comparison group [ 34 , 36 ]. Furthermore, if dog acquisition increases physical activity, it is also plausible losing a dog decreases physical activity, but this has not been explored in research.…”

A narrative review of exercise participation among adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: barriers and solutions

“…More research is needed, ideally ethically conducted randomized controlled trials without risk of harm to animals, to further determine the impact of pet ownership on CVD risk in people with T2D. There was a clear increase in physical activity associated with pet ownership, recently exhibited by puppy acquisition during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 ( 101 ). If feasible, pet ownership can be considered one solution to increasing physical activity in people with T2D.…”