Dog parents who exercise regularly are more likely to have fit dogs, too, according to a recent study conducted at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
While it’s a no-brainer that dog parents tend to get more exercise than people without dogs, this new study shows that dogs with more active owners also get more exercise.
Analyzing the Relationship
Researchers looked at the relationship between a dog parent’s exercise routine and their dog’s exercise routine. They also looked at perceptions of the dog’s health. “Dogs that received less than 30 minutes of exercise per day had [pet parents] who were much more likely to report spending less time performing moderate exercise themselves,” the study found.
Researchers analyzed a survey of about 3,300 dog parents in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The survey looked at both pet parents’ and dogs’ diets and exercise routines. It also looked at the owner’s perception of their dog’s weight. They found that:
- Humans who have overweight dogs were less likely to exercise their dogs. They were also more likely to restrict their dog’s food intake to control weight rather than increase their exercise.
- Parents 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. They also attempt to control their dog’s weight by limiting food intake, including treats.
- The type of exercise you perform yourself predicts your dog’s exercise routine as well. Any amount of vigorous exercise in the pet parent’s routine increased the proportion of dogs who also performed vigorous exercise.
Fit Pet Parents Equal Fit Dogs
“Together, the data suggests that these owners know their dogs are not at an ideal weight and are willing to change their dogs’ diet but not exercise them more. This is unfortunate, but also somewhat understandable. It’s much easier to change what our pets eat rather than increase the amount or intensity of their exercise, because that would probably mean changing an owner’s exercise habits, too,” said Dr. Kate Shoveller, the lead author of the study.
In a nutshell, dogs get more exercise if their people spend more time exercising.
