“A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.”
Most recently, there has been a surge in research specifically investigating the relationship between dog ownership and dog walking. Bauman, Russell, Furber, andDobson (2001) found that while dog owners walked on average 18 minutes per week more than non-owners, more than half of dog owners did not walk their dogs at all. That might explain the sales increases in puppy pads, carpet cleaning and off-leash reports.
Researcher Judith Siegel tested 1,036 Medicare recipients in California, finding that respondents with pets had fewer total doctor contacts over a one-year period than those without pets.
Budge, Spicer, Jones, and St. George (1998) suggest that it is when owners are more compatible with their dog that they are the most likely to experience physical and psychological benefits from pet ownership… which may explain why there are 32,000,000 searches every month on Google for specific “dog breeds.”
When asked if owing a dog passed health benefits to an owner, Ben Williams’ observation deserves some consideration, “There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”
Be Well, Live Long. 