Pet ownership has long been associated with better health, but more so for people with pet dogs. In 2016, researchers studied how dog walking affected physical activity in four US and Australian cities. They discovered that dog owners clocked in 30 minutes more of physical activity than non-dog owners.

1. Study: Dog Owners Get 30
Minutes More Physical Activity
than Non-Pet Owners
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2. Pet ownership has long been associated with better health, but more so for people with pet dogs. In
2016, researchers studied how dog walking affected physical activity in four US and Australian cities.
They discovered that dog owners clocked in 30 minutes more of physical activity than non-dog
owners.
Meeting the recommended level of daily physical activity isn’t a guarantee for good health, but the
two have a strong correlation. There is plenty of evidence to support this. One is an early, widely
cited study where researchers analysed Australian national data. They found that pet owners had 15
per cent fewer visits to general practitioners than people who did not have pets. The findings
strongly suggested that pets, specifically dogs, have a positive impact on their owners’ health.
Lifestyle Changes
The responsibilities that come with owning a dog encourages owners to develop routines and habits
that translate to health benefits.
Daily morning and evening walks top this list. As dogs need exercise, their owners tend to walk more
than people without dogs. This became immediately apparent to researchers who recently conducted
a survey in Liverpool. They gathered questionnaire responses and data from the activity monitoring
devices they provided for participants. They found that dog owners are four times more likely to
meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity per week than non-dog owners.

3. They are also more amenable to changing their lifestyles to ensure their pets’ health:
 A survey on 3,293 pet owners revealed that 28.4 per cent of smokers said they are motivated to
quit the habit upon knowing that second-hand smoke puts their pets’ health at risk.
 A People and Pets Exercising Together (PPET) study on the exercise habits of people with obesity
revealed that those who regularly exercised with their pets are more likely to complete their
fitness programmes.
Contributions to Holistic Health
The increase in physical activity and positive lifestyle changes of dog owners leads to several health
benefits:
1. Mental Health
Dog owners report to improvements in their emotional and mental well-being. Animal companionship
is a recognised form of treatment for anxiety and depression: clinical studies have found that human-
animal interaction increases oxytocin levels and reduces stress and its symptoms. More importantly,
having a pet dog for companionship reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation.

4. 2. Physical Health
Research has also shown that growing up with a pet dog may strengthen the immune system, and it
reduces a person’s likelihood of developing allergies. Dog ownership is also associated with low blood
pressure, low cholesterol and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
A dog’s mere presence can make a positive difference, but it’s the healthy lifestyle dog ownership
inspires that gives owners holistic health benefits. People should not only consider getting a dog, but
also ensure they have access to public parks, pet playgrounds or open land where they and their pets
can get active together.

5. Sources:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309041945_The_association_between_dog_walking_physi
cal_activity_and_owner's_perceptions_of_safety_cross-
sectional_evidence_from_the_US_and_Australia
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11205-005-5072-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41254-6
https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/18/2/156
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17062806
https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/alleviating-anxiety-stress-
and-depression-pet
https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-pet-ownership/
https://www.rch.org.au/dogsandkids/benefits/