Dogs can keep you fit but size matters
If you’re packing a few extra pandemic pounds, gaffer tape across the mouth is clearly not the answer – but how about a twice-daily constitutional stroll with a pooch?
Pet websites such as pethelpful.com cite research as proving that dog walking is ‘‘actually more effective for weight loss than having a membership in a gym or joining a diet plan’’.
But Auckland University of Technology professor of public health Grant Schofield, who has done research into dog ownership and physical activity, says those kinds of conclusions need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Size, apparently, is everything, according to his research.
‘‘People who own dogs exercise quite a bit more than people who don’t exercise dogs, but it does depend on the size of the dog,’’ Schofield says.
‘‘A little dog doesn’t do anything. It was only the dog owners of medium- and bigger-sized dogs that exercised more than non-dog owners.’’
He thinks this is because bigger dogs need more exercise.
‘‘In my experience, having had reasonable-sized dogs, border collies, if they’re not exercised, they cause trouble around the house. That’s possibly a thing that forces you to go for decent-sized walks.’’
Studies are confounded by the fact that people who are going to get a ‘‘decent-sized dog’’ perhaps like walking and exercise anyway, he says.
Schofield says people who are complete couch potatoes probably aren’t going to buy a dog that is clearly going to need some walking.
‘‘If you think of a dog like a piece of gym equipment, it’s not going to end well, for you or the dog.
‘‘But nonetheless, if you are preh-disposed to want to keep in shape, a dog’s an awesome way to do it, because they’re living, beautiful animals that give you feedback and love being outside – more than we do, just about.’’
The professor is the owner of a border collie who happily accompanies whatever he does outdoors, be that a swim, a 10km run or a 2km walk. ‘‘He doesn’t care, he’s up for anything.’’
But you don’t need to be running to benefit.
A University of Missouri study found that dog walking was associated with a ‘‘lower body mass index, fewer doctor visits, more frequent exercise and an increase in social benefits for seniors’’.
Other researchers found that of 26 public housing residents who walked certified therapy dogs with a handler, the 13 who walked for 50 weeks had a weight loss of 6.5kg.
Anne-Maree Therkleson, the owner of Jack Russell poodle (Jack-A-Poo) Vincent, describes herself as a walker but says it’s quite easy to find a reason not to venture outside, particularly if it’s raining.
Vincent sometimes gets up to mischief if left alone, when he earns himself the moniker ‘‘Vincent the Vandal’’.
‘‘He’s got a lot of energy, so you have to use it up. Otherwise, he goes mad in the house,’’ Therkleson says.
The eight-month-old pooch gets taken out twice a day – for a 15-minute walk at night, and for another ‘‘good walk’’ of between one and two hours, which will include some time playing and some time spent training on the lead.
Therkleson says dog walking is ‘‘definitely good for your mental health’’. She enjoys the social aspect of dog ownership – getting out to meet other dog owners and hearing their stories.
‘‘Because I work from home, before Vincent, I could spend days at home and not leave unless I needed to get food,’’ she says. ‘‘I like that he sort of makes you get out of the house.’’