Dog Walking Research Articles

Effects of a dog activity tracker on owners' walking: a community-based randomised controlled trial.

A promising strategy to increase population physical activity is through promotion of dog walking. Informed by multi-process action control and nascent dog-walking theory, we examined the effectiveness of a 3-month technology-based (dog tracker) 2-arm randomised controlled dog-walking intervention to increase dog-owner daily physical activity in the general community in Sydney, Australia. 37 participants were allocated to the intervention group (mean age = 43.2 [SD 11.9]) and 40 to the control group (mean age = 42.3 [SD 11.9]). Both groups averaged more than 10,500 steps/day at baseline. There was no evidence of within- or between-group physical activity differences across timepoints. The results remained consistent after exclusion of participants who had data collected during COVID-19 lockdowns. Compared with baseline, both groups had significant increases in sedentary time during the post-intervention, and 6 month follow-up. The absence of significant differences between-group physical activity differences may be attributable to the ceiling effect of both groups already being sufficiently active. These results provide useful guidance to future studies intended to assess the efficacy of technology-based dog-walking interventions. Future dog-walking interventions should specifically target physically inactive dog owners. ACTRN12619001391167 (10/10/2019); Retrospectively registered.

‘I am on Guard’: The Making of Race, Gender and Affect in Human-Dog Relations in South Africa

This article will analyse human-dog relations in the post-apartheid White South African suburbs to show how they operate in the production of racial and gendered difference. The analysis draws primarily on my experience as a White woman growing up in the suburbs and my work as a dog walker, as well as interviews with the owners of two dog day-cares in Cape Town. Given this locatedness, the article tracks the affective and biopolitical effects of human-dog relationality to consider how they work in the socio-spatial structuring of the White suburbs. To begin, it uses Donna Haraway’s understanding of relation across difference in interspecies ‘becoming’, augmenting this with Harlan Weaver and Sarah Ahmed’s respective theorisations of the work of affect between bodies. It outlines White discourses of fear around crime and security and describes the spatial organisation of the suburb, which informs dogs’ socialisation/enculturation with White people, and their hostility towards Black people. As such, suburban dogs become part of a racialised species kinship, in which they are cast as White people’s companions, while protecting private property and White bodies. Drawing on Ahmed and Fanon’s work on phenomenology, the paper considers how dogs reproduce the historico-racial schema so that Black subjects are made to feel vulnerable in White space. Finally, it looks at gendered racialised narratives of threat and the construction of White women as objects of protection in relation to the imagined threat of Black men. By analysing these modes of relation, this paper hopes to show how interconnectedness yields an ethical responsibility towards others, across differences of race and species.

Leash-related injuries associated with dog walking: an understudied risk for dog owners?

The topic of dog-walking injuries has recently gained notoriety through major media outlets in North America, including the Washington Post, NPR, and US News and World Report. In this review, we have compiled data from the main studies published in the past 2 decades that assess the incidence, demographics, and injury patterns related to dog leash walking. The available papers indicate that dog leash-related injuries have increased, particularly among women over 65. The most common causes of injury are dog-pulling behavior, which can result in tripping or tangling, with or without a fall, as well as upper extremity injuries. However, there is a lack of information regarding dog size, breed, training status, the type of leash used at the time of injury, and the role each factor may have in the incidence of injuries. The available data did not allow for evaluation of the impact of weather conditions on injury incidence. Information about the involved dogs, type of lead device, and weather conditions could be useful in identifying risk factors associated with dog ownership and guide prospective pet owners and their families to mitigate the risk of injuries.

An antidote to “armageddon and potential doom”: accounts of canine-human companionship during Covid-19

ABSTRACT Though the anthropause of Covid-19 was peculiarly human-centric, it also brought into sharp relief our more-than-human world. Canine-human companionship can support human mental and physical wellbeing in ‘normal’ times, but this article explores the pandemic as a unique context for animal/human relations. I interrogate the pandemic component of the Dog Talking and Walking Project online survey (n = 673), and subsequent interviews (n = 41). A novel two-step qualitative data analysis comprised, firstly, examining participants’ written qualitative survey accounts about how Covid catalysed canine companionship, and descriptions of how canine closeness attenuated losses. Secondly, I explore key interview themes: ‘closeness’ of canine companionship; dogs as ‘mediator’ in families; and dogs as ‘moderator’ of the impacts of the pandemic. The analysis offers an important counter to the speciesism and anthropocentrism embedded in our recollections of Covid times. Methodologically, I suggest that qualitative surveys alongside the traditional interview can yield richer understandings of more-than-human relationships.

Epidemiology of Pediatric Dog Walking-Related Injuries Among Children Presenting to US Emergency Departments, 2001 to 2020.

Dog walking is associated with a significant injury burden among adults, but the risk of injury associated with dog walking among children is poorly understood. This study describes the epidemiology of children treated at US emergency departments for injuries related to leash-dependent dog walking. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was retrospectively analyzed to identify children (5 to 18years of age) presenting to US emergency departments between 2001 and 2020 with dog walking-related injuries. Primary outcomes included annual estimates of injury incidence, injury characteristics, and risk factors for fracture or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Weighted estimates, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated using NEISS sample weights. An estimated 35,611 children presented to US emergency departments with injuries related to dog walking. The mean age of patients was 11 years, and most patients were girls (63%). Over half (55%) of injuries were orthopaedic, and patients commonly injured their upper extremity (57%) and were hurt while falling when pulled or tripped by the leash (55%). The most frequent injuries were wrist strain/sprain (5.6%), finger strain/sprain (5.4%), and ankle strain/sprain (5.3%). On multivariable analysis, injured children aged 5 to 11 years were more likely to have sustained a TBI (OR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.1-9.7) or fracture (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.3). Boys were more likely than girls to have experienced a fracture (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3-2.5). Dog walking-related injuries in children are primarily orthopaedic and involve the upper extremity. Younger children and boys are at greater risk for serious dog walking-related injuries. Level III.

Unleashed: walking dogs off the lead greatly increases habitat disturbance in UK lowland heathlands

Human population growth is associated with increased disturbance to wildlife. This effect is particularly acute in urban and periurban areas, where the area of effective disturbance extends beyond that of human presence by the roaming behaviour of pet dogs. Dogs are globally the dominant companion animal, with a population of ~ 12 million in the UK. As urban areas extend, dogs are exercised in green space close to housing. In southeast and southern England these areas include lowland heath, a habitat of high conservation value. To quantify disturbance caused by dog walkers and their dogs, we used GPS units to track the movement of people and their dogs across four lowland heath sites, used a questionnaire to ask about dog walking habits, and mapped potential areas of disturbance caused by dog walkers. Questionnaires were completed by 798 dog walkers and the walks of 162 owners and their 185 dogs were recorded. Mean (± SE) walk time was 56 ± 23 min, walk distance 3.75 ± 1.68 km and dogs were a median distance of 20 m from the owner during walks. Dogs were walked once (44%) or twice (56%) a day. Most (always: 85%; always or occasionally: 95%) dogs were walked off the lead even when signs were present requesting that dogs were kept on a lead. This resulted in up to a 21% increase in reserve area disturbed. In one reserve (Snelsmore Common), > 90% of the area was disturbed by dogs, greatly eroding its conservation value. This work highlights the importance of considering how dog ownership can exacerbate levels of disturbance in sensitive periurban habitats when housing developments are planned.

Social role of the ‘Bow-Wow Patrol’ in urban areas of Japan: a qualitative study

The ‘Bow-Wow Patrol (BWP)’, established to avert local crime by encouraging dog walking, may help build social relationships among individuals through dog walking. However, details of its social influence remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the social roles of BWP in the urban areas of Japan. A total of 18 BWP organisation members from two Tokyo municipalities were recruited using snowball sampling between November 2021 and July 2022. In an interview, participants were asked about their perceptions of changes in their social relationships through the BWP. Qualitative content analysis was conducted after text mining using the KH Coder software. The mean age of the participants was 63.9 years, and 83.3% engaged in BWP 7 days a week. The content analysis revealed six social roles of the BWP: establishment of social networks with schools as the centre, establishment of loose networks inside and outside the BWP organization, enhancement of a sense of trust among neighbours, enhancement of a sense of trust in communities, norms of reciprocity among dog owners, and dog and owner characteristics. This study found that the BWP in urban Japan strengthens social cohesion and expands social networks among dog walkers, encouraging them to continue walking.

Realizing multispecies justice: a (dog) walk in the park?

ABSTRACT A growing body of literature is concerned with the city as a site of human and nonhuman (henceforth “animal”) entanglement. These findings have contributed to a relational ethics that calls for multispecies justice and care based on “our” shared connectivity. However, the factors impacting how mundane animal encounters are experienced, conflicted, and negotiated remain underexplored. Examining leisurely dog walks in London’s urban spaces, moments of unstructured human–animal and animal–animal encounters, and the impact of these on the moral geographies of dog guardians are investigated. “Dog-walk-and-talk” interviews with experienced dog guardians highlight how animal encounters become moments of ethical contemplation. These ethical reflections are deepened and complicated by the intimate and reciprocal care relations that guardians often share with their companion dog(s). On the one hand, guardians experienced embodied, ethical, and political encounters with animal urban denizens. This is conflicted by practices of detachment that can also follow encounters with so-called pest species. Thus, the stories told by urban dog walkers hint that the human–canine relationship impacts the realization of one’s moral obligation towards other-than-canine animals. The research therefore revisits the topic of multispecies justice and animal ethics and how it might be realized.

СУЧАСНІ ПІДХОДИ ДО ПРОСТОРОВОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ МУЗЕЇВ ТА ЕКСПОЗИЦІЙ ПРОСТО НЕБА. ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИЙ ДОСВІД

There are numerous open-air museums worldwide, and public spaces often incorporate both permanent and temporary outdoor exhibitions. Based on studies conducted on open-air museums and exhibitions in Vienna and its surrounding areas, as part of the academic cooperation program TU Vienna – TU Lviv, this article explores the European approach to the architectural and spatial organization of such institutions. Through this research, contemporary approaches to their architectural and spatial organization were examined, and both positive and negative aspects were highlighted. This article aims to analyze the distinct features of the architectural and spatial organization of European open-air museums and exhibitions, identifying their positive aspects and approaches that could be implemented in Ukraine. In Ukrainian studies, the topic of modern open-air museums is only gaining popularity and is not well presented. Hence, involving local scholars in this globally expanding field would be relevant. European open-air museums, particularly in Austria, show several trends in spatial organization, including a comprehensive approach, accessibility, family-oriented infrastructure, wide implementation of interactive elements, and integration of multimedia technologies. These museums blend original artifacts with modern enhancements to provide visitors with a unique experience. Noteworthy aspects observed in open-air museums and exhibitions, which are scarce or absent in Ukraine, include combining several neighboring objects into one museum complex, a large number of children's playgrounds, ample recreation and food areas, inclusiveness, infrastructure for dog walking, provision of venues for holding mass events, and onsite production and sale of themed merchandise in souvenir shops. The principles of spatial and architectural organization in open-air museums and exhibitions in Vienna and its vicinity boast several positive features that we believe are pertinent for implementation in Ukraine. Notably, interactivity to engage visitors and inclusivity, which is poised to be a pressing issue during Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, stand out as crucial aspects. The findings from this study can serve as a foundation for enhancing existing or designing new open-air museums in Ukraine.

Apace

Researching nonfiction writing about where you call home is one way of appreciating conservation challenges. Living at the edge of the Great North Woods in Maine, I have found this work to be enriched by daily dog walks that cumulatively mark changes across time. Structured as a seasonal cycle, this essay ponders an idiosyncratic collection of evidence of more-than-human comings and goings, witnessed on two feet, accompanied by four more, in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. By writing about encounters with wildlife at close range, I reflect on specific ways in which my reading and dog walking practices together inspire extensions of empathy toward the ineffable relations that structure nature–culture borderlands. Becoming attuned to the critters within and without, betwixt and between house and home through extensions of kinaesthetic empathy, my hope is to model the development of a posthuman ethos through developing a storied appreciation for the elusive, unnamed intimacies of nonhuman neighbourliness that include, but are not limited to, witnessing dying and death.

Embracing the Radical Cartographies of the Doggy Dérive

Operating at the intersection of fine art walking practice, psychogeography, and critical animal studies, the practice of Deep Canine Topography seeks to reframe the humble act of the walk-ies as a co-authored, multi-species act of making and performing together. This essay offers a snapshot of my current research, drawing on Erin Manning’s concept of relational movement, Andrew Goodman’s gathering ecologies, Tim Ingold’s meshwork, Deleuze and Guattari’s twin concepts of becoming animal and nomadic subjectivity, as developed by Rosi Braidotti and Dorota Golanska, and Roberto Marchesini’s theories of the Creative Animal. In doing so I consider the potential of the ubiquitous dog walk as an act of creative co-becoming.

Warsaw small and medium-sized public urban green spaces as a response to short-time leisure needs of local residents and passers-by

ABSTRACT The study investigates visitors’ activity patterns in small and medium-sized public urban green spaces (SAMPUGS) and the relationship between the green space features and their use through the field observation of 36 case areas in Warsaw districts – Śródmieście and Ursynów. They were analysed using the perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs) and the Environmental Assessment of Public Recreation Spaces (EAPRS) tool. The green spaces in Ursynów are greener and richer in species than those in Śródmieście, but they lack historical features. The most popular activities are: sitting on a bench, strolling, dog walking, chatting and eating/drinking. Sitting on a bench is encouraged by the presence of historical feature and view outside green space but not by the ‘green ground cover’ or high green coverage ratio. Strolling is promoted in the green spaces of the bigger size and with the developed path network, but also with presence of flowerbeds and those rich in species. Chatting is promoted by the presence of historical features but not by the presence of ‘green ground cover’ and richness in species. Eating/drinking is encouraged by the presence of many places to sit, higher PSD ‘culture’ score, especially in Śródmieście and higher PSD ‘space’ score, especially in Ursynów.

From Niche Narrative to Audio Blockbusters

From Niche Narrative to Audio Blockbusters

Is dog walking suitable for physical activity promotion? Investigating the exercise intensity of on-leash dog walking

BackgroundApproximately a quarter of the global population is physically inactive, increasing the prevalence of chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease. Clearly, a population shift is needed to increase physical activity participation. Given almost half of American and Australian households have at least one dog, dog walking has the potential to increase physical activity. The objective of this study was to characterize the exercise intensity of dog walking using physiological measures to determine whether it achieved a threshold for health-enhancement. MethodFrom February 2020 to September 2022, dog owners (aged > 18 years, without impediment to walking) who resided in metropolitan Sydney participated in an on-leash dog walk for a minimum of 20 minutes, while wearing a heart rate monitor and carrying a phone to track cadence, route and duration. ResultsForty-three participants were recruited (aged 34.26 ± 16 years). Data from measures of %heart rate reserve (38 ± 10.8 %HRR), %heart rate max (61 ± 7.2 %HRmax) and average cadence (45 ± 8.4steps/min) classified dog-walking as light intensity. However, when using average walking speed (4.29 ± 0.8 km/hr) and metabolic equivalents (3.53 ± 0.6METs), the walk was classified as moderate intensity. ConclusionOverall, depending on the intensity measure used, dog walking was positioned in the upper range of light intensity and the lower range of moderate intensity. Although dog walking at a certain intensity may be difficult to prescribe as strategy for meeting current moderate-to-vigorous focused physical activity recommendations, it should be recognised as a beneficial activity that may reach moderate intensity on some occasions.

Unleashing potential: Boosting physical activity in children with developmental disabilities via a family-dog-assisted intervention

Abstract In the context of a global crisis, where over 80% of children fail to meet minimum standards of physical activity, children with developmental disabilities may face an even greater health disparity. Despite being disproportionately less physically active than the broader population, those with developmental disabilities are often excluded from mainstream interventions. This study evaluated a novel animal-assisted intervention (AAI) that incorporated the family pet dog, with the goal of increasing physical activity in children with developmental disabilities. The intervention involved teaching child participants to engage in “Do as I Do” (DAID) reciprocal-imitation training with their dog over ten 60-min sessions. After enrollment, 45 child-dog pairs of children and their family dogs were randomly assigned to either the experimental intervention (DAID) group, the active control group (dog walking control [DWC]), or the passive control group (waitlist control [WC]). Physical activity was measured using a 7-day ActiGraph accelerometer monitoring process, and data were analyzed for children who wore the accelerometer for a minimum of 4 days at both assessment time points (N = 14). Participation in the intervention (DAID) group was found to significantly increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by 1.2 min/h ( p = 0.0087; Cohen’s d = 1.7) and significantly reduce sedentary behavior by 4.03 min/h ( p = 0.027; d = 1.3), outperforming the waitlist control group. Our findings demonstrate the potential of this novel dog-assisted intervention to improve physical activity in this population, thereby contributing to a reduction in health disparities.

Evaluation of variability in performance and paw placement patterns by dogs completing the dog walk obstacle in an agility competition.

The objective of this study was to describe paw placement patterns for canine athletes completing the dog walk obstacle during canine agility trials. It was hypothesized that dogs would demonstrate defined sets of paw placement patterns as they complete the dog walk obstacle and that those could be classified based on end contact behavior. Videos of 296 dogs attempting the dog walk obstacle at the 2021 UK Agility International (UKI) US Open were reviewed online. Data observed from video evaluation included front and rear limb paw placement across the dog walk and time to complete the obstacle. Results showed a high variability in obstacle performance. Mean time to complete the entire obstacle was 2.26 seconds (sd = 1.03). Mean and median completion times were qualitatively similar across all height classes. A slight majority of dogs hit the up ramp with their right foot first indicating running on their left lead (n = 185, 63%) with some variation observed between heights. Likewise, a slight majority (58%) of dogs hit the down ramp with their right front foot first (151/262). Given the high variation in completion times and paw placements, we could not identify clear patterns of dog walk performance. The large amount of variation observed with the dog walk obstacle suggests a need for future studies to employ alternative methods for objective gait analysis and to strategically select dogs to reflect the large variety in obstacle performance observed here.

A walk with “that wild dog of yours”: tales of circumscribed, co-negotiated and adaptive walking practices

ABSTRACT The benefits of pet companionship – and of dog walking in particular – has been long acknowledged across academic disciplines. Much of the research values – even romanticizes – it as mutually beneficial, catalysing both human sociability and canine well-being. However, walking a dog displaying aggressive or other unwanted behaviour – dogs that fall short of expectations – severely undermines the virtues of pet companionship, extracting a considerable social and emotional toll for those seeking greater inter-species commonality. Drawing on empirical work on walking practices and the author’s autoethnographic account, the paper solicits interpretations more attuned to the complexities of our cohabited socio-spatial worlds, particularly against contexts of discordance. The research demonstrates how these circumstances influence relationships with humans, often forcing dogs and their owners into liminal and contested socio-spatial existences, though also occasionally revealing exploratory opportunities. The dog walk therefore emerges as an activity that is heavily negotiated and contingent. Ultimately, the quest to ‘make space’ for seemingly transgressive dogs demonstrates the necessity and potentiality for a trans-species co-habitation that is more sensitive to the spectrum of animals that share our more than human worlds.

Walk a hound: dog walking and the wellbeing of older adults

ABSTRACT Physical inactivity in the older adult population contributes to a decreased quality of life and complications from many co-morbidities. Dog walking is an activity that can assist this population in increasing activity. This was a secondary analysis of a 12-week quasi-experimental study of older adults residing in three separate assisted living facilities divided into walking with shelter dogs (DW), walking with human companions (HW), and a control group (C). There was an overall total program greater mean difference in distance (ft) of 61,565.77 (p = .01) and time (minutes) of 737.82 (p = .00) of DW to HW groups. Overall, the participants commented positively about their walking companions and the program. The DW group stated, ‘Walking the dogs helped to get them out of their cages,’ Both groups expressed that the program was a motivator to walk. Additionally, commitment to the dog could potentially motivate older adults to be more active.

Timing and duration of dog walking and dog owner's chronotype in relation to incident depression risk among middle to older-aged female nurses.

We examined associations between dog ownership, morning dog walking and its timing and duration, and depression risk in female nurses, exploring effect modification by chronotype. We hypothesized that dog ownership and morning walking with the dog are associated with lower odds of depression, and that the latter is particularly beneficial for evening chronotypes by helping them to synchronize their biological clock with the solar system. 26,169 depression-free US women aged 53-72 from the Nurses' Health Study 2 (NHS2) were prospectively followed from 2017-2019. We used age- and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for depression according to dog ownership, and morning dog walking, duration, and timing. Overall, there was no association between owning a dog (ORvs_no_pets = 1.12, 95%CI = 0.91-1.37), morning dog walking (ORvs_not = 0.87, 95%CI = 0.64-1.18), or the duration (OR>30min vs. ≤15mins = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.35-1.29) or timing of morning dog walks (ORafter9am vs. before7am = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.54-2.05) and depression. Chronotype of dog owners appeared to modify these associations. Compared to women of the same chronotype but without pets, dog owners with evening chronotypes had a significantly increased odds of depression (OR = 1.60, 95%CI = 1.12-2.29), whereas morning chronotypes did not (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.71-1.23). Further, our data suggested that evening chronotypes benefited more from walking their dog themselves in the morning (OR = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.46-1.23, Pintx = 0.064;) than morning chronotypes. Overall, dog ownership was not associated with depression risk though it was increased among evening chronotypes. Walking their dog in the morning might help evening chronotypes to lower their odds of depression, though more data are needed to confirm this finding.

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

IntroductionRegular physical activity is important for children’s physical and mental health, yet many children do not achieve recommended amounts of physical activity. Dog ownership has been associated with increased physical activity in children, however, there have been no longitudinal studies examining this relationship. This study used data from the Play Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity (PLAYCE) cohort study to examine the longitudinal effects of dog ownership status on children’s movement behaviours.MethodsChange in dog ownership from preschool (wave 1, age 2–5) to fulltime school (wave 2, age 5–7) was used as a natural experiment with four distinct dog ownership groups: continuing non-dog owners (n = 307), continuing dog owners (n = 204), dog acquired (n = 58), and dog loss (n = 31; total n = 600). Daily movement behaviours, including physical activity, sedentary time, sleep, and screen time, were measured using accelerometry and parent-report surveys. Differences between groups over time and by sex were tested using linear mixed effects regression models.ResultsGirls who acquired a dog increased their light intensity activities and games by 52.0 min/day (95%CI 7.9, 96.0) and girls who lost a dog decreased their light intensity activities and games by 62.1 min/day (95%CI -119.3, -4.9) compared to no change among non-dog owners. Girls and boys who acquired a dog increased their unstructured physical activity by 6.8 (95%CI 3.2, 10.3) and 7.1 (95%CI 3.9, 10.3) occasions/week, compared to no changes among non-dog owners. Girls and boys who lost a dog reduced their unstructured physical activity by 10.2 (95%CI -15.0, -5.3) and 7.7 (95%CI -12.0, -3.5) occasions/week. Girls who lost a dog decreased their total physical activity by 46.3 min/day (95%CI -107.5, 14.8) compared to no change among non-dog owners. Continuing dog ownership was typically not associated with movement behaviours. Dog ownership group was not associated with changes in sleep and had mixed associations with screen time.ConclusionThe positive influence of dog ownership on children’s physical activity begins in early childhood and differs by child sex. Further research should examine the specific contributions dog-facilitated physical activity makes to children’s overall physical activity, including the intensity and duration of dog walking and play.