Getting fit with Fido is a win-win for everyone, a new Canadian study finds.
While previous research has shown that dog owners tend to get more exercise than folks without dogs, the new study shows that dogs with more active owners also get more exercise.
Obesity in dogs is on the rise, and dogs who are overweight face a number of health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
“The type of exercise you perform yourself does predict your dog’s exercise routine as well,” said study author Sydney Banton, a doctoral student at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “Any amount of vigorous exercise in the owner’s exercise routine increased the proportion of dogs who also performed vigorous exercise.”
Researchers analyzed results from a survey of nearly 3,300 dog owners in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The survey looked at owners’ and dogs’ diets and exercise routines, along with the owner’s perception of their dog’s weight.
- The bottom line? Dogs got more exercise if their owners spent more time exercising. More active owners were also more likely to perceive their dog as having an ideal body weight, the
survey showed. - Vigorous exercise for dogs included running, playing ball or swimming, while moderate exercise was defined as walking, hiking or visiting the dog park.
- Folks who didn’t perform more than 15 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly were less likely to report that their dog performs vigorous exercise, the study showed.
- Dog owners who performed moderate exercise for more than five days per week were more likely to exercise their dogs for 60 minutes to 90 minutes or more per day.
Owners of dogs age 5 and older were less likely to perceive their dog as being an ideal body weight if they had been told their dog was overweight, attempted to control their dog’s weight by limiting food intake, or reported giving dogs treats daily.
Many owners may attempt to control dogs’ body weight through diet, but not exercise, Banton said.
“We encourage dog owners to include exercise as part of their dog’s daily routine,” she said. “If the dog is overweight, starting with smaller bouts of less intense exercise, such as a walk around the block, is a great way to gradually incorporate exercise into your dog’s routine.”