Walking Sole Mates: Dogs Motivating, Enabling and Supporting Guardians' Physical Activity

Higgins, Joan; Temple, Viviene A.; Murray, Holly; Kumm, Ellen; Rhodes, Ryan E.

doi:10.2752/175303713x13636846944286

Cited by 34 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Our findings with identity and action control support this prior work. Qualitative interviews with dog owners highlight how dog walking is a duty or a role described with similarities to parenting children [50]. Further, Brown and Rhodes [13] found that a sense of dog responsibility/obligation was able to predict walking behavior independent of walking intention, which is similar to the results of the current study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Understanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey

Rhodes

Lim

2016

BMC Public Health

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BackgroundWalking among dog owners may be a means to achieve health benefits, yet almost half of owners (approximately 30% of households) are not regularly walking their dogs. Current research on the correlates of dog walking has generally considered intention as the primary determinant of behavior, yet the intention-behavior relationship is modest. The purpose of this paper was to apply a framework designed to evaluate the intention-behavior gap, known as multi-process action control (M-PAC), to understand daily walking among dog owners.MethodA community sample of adult dog owners (N = 227) in Victoria, Canada completed M-PAC measures of motivational (dog and human outcome expectations, affective judgments, perceived capability and opportunity), regulatory (planning), and reflexive (automaticity, identity) processes as well as intention to walk and behavior.ResultsThree intention-behavior profiles emerged: a) non-intenders who were not active (26%; n = 59), b) unsuccessful intenders who failed to enact their positive intentions (33%; n = 75), and c) successful intenders who were active (40%; n = 91). Congruent with M-PAC, a discriminant function analysis showed that affective judgements (r = 0.33), automaticity (r = 0.38), and planning (r = 0.33) distinguished between all three intention-behavior profiles, while identity (r = 0.22) and dog breed size (r = 0.28) differentiated between successful and unsuccessful intenders.ConclusionsThe majority of dog owners have positive intentions to walk, yet almost half fail to meet these intentions. Interventions focused on affective judgments (e.g., more enjoyable places to walk), behavioral regulation (e.g., setting a concrete plan), habit (e.g., making routines and cues) and identity formation (e.g., affirmations of commitment) may help overcome difficulties with translating these intentions into action, thus increasing overall levels of walking.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Understanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey

Rhodes

Lim

2016

BMC Public Health

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“…Most research to date has been conducted in North America (e.g. [ 10 – 17 ]) or Australia (e.g. [ 18 – 23 ] with relatively limited data from the UK [ 9 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with daily walking of dogs

2015

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BackgroundRegular physical activity is beneficial to the health of both people and animals. The role of regular exercise undertaken together, such as dog walking, is a public health interest of mutual benefit. Exploration of barriers and incentives to regular dog walking by owners is now required so that effective interventions to promote it can be designed. This study explored a well-characterised cross-sectional dataset of 276 dogs and owners from Cheshire, UK, for evidence of factors associated with the dog being walked once or more per day.ResultsFactors independently associated with daily walking included: number of dogs owned (multiple (vs. single) dogs negatively associated); size (medium and possibly large dogs (vs. small) positively associated); and number of people in the household (more people negatively associated). Furthermore, a number of factors related to the dog-owner relationship and the dog’s behaviour were associated with daily walking, including: having acquired the dog for a hobby (positively associated); dog lying on furniture (positively associated); dog lying on laps (negatively associated); growling at household members (negatively associated); and playing chase games with the dog (negatively associated).ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the strength and nature of the human-dog relationship incentivises dog walking, and that behavioural and demographic factors may affect dog walking via this mechanism. Future studies need to investigate how dog demographic and behavioural factors, plus owner behavioural factors and perceptions of the dog, influence the dog-human relationship in respect to the perceived support and motivation a dog can provide for walking.

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“…And pets do matter to people. For instance, qualitative researchers have delved into positive as well as negative influences that urban dogs can have on wellbeing (Burrows et al ., ; Degeling & Rock, ; Degeling et al ., 2015; Derges et al ., ; Higgins et al ., ; Holmberg, 2013; Instone & Sweeney, ; McCormack et al ., ; Power, ; Power, ; Rock, 2017; Solomon, ; Tissot, ; Toohey & Rock, ; Urbanik & Morgan, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From more‐than‐human solidarity to multi‐species biographical value: insights from a veterinary school about ethical dilemmas in One Health promotion

Rock

Degeling

Adams

2020

Sociology Health & Illness

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This article features a partnership between a veterinary school and a charity that aims to enhance the wellbeing of low-income people. Through this partnership, the charity periodically hosts veterinary clinics for clients and their pets. Even as the veterinarians and veterinary students duly examine people's pets, these pop-up clinics aim to help people and their pets. Hence our analysis revolves around the ethics of 'more-than-human solidarity'. By 'more-than-human solidarity', we mean efforts to help others that either center on or that implicate non-human beings. To delve into the ethical and sociological implications of subsidised veterinary services, and to assist with program planning, we conducted several in-depth interviews with veterinarians. Most substantively, we found that the veterinary school's outreach clinics give rise to multi-species biographical value, which is prized as a pedagogical resource for veterinary students. The veterinarians whom we interviewed felt troubled by the extent to which the pop-up clinics ultimately benefited the veterinary school, but also by the shortage of subsidised veterinary services in the vicinity. Based on these interviews and our own reflections, we invite more scholarship on cultural, economic and political influences that shape the lives of human beings and non-human animals alike.

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Walking Sole Mates: Dogs Motivating, Enabling and Supporting Guardians' Physical Activity

Cited by 34 publications

References 83 publications

Understanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey

Understanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey

Factors associated with daily walking of dogs

From more‐than‐human solidarity to multi‐species biographical value: insights from a veterinary school about ethical dilemmas in One Health promotion

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