Hot on the heels of academic research that dog owners are happier, healthier and live longer than non-dog owners, a pet food firm has given further insight into why this might be ahead of their The One Brit And His Dog study due to be published in the Spring.
According to the pet food manufacturer the reason dog owners are fitter and healthier than non-dog owners could easily be put down to the fact that dog owners typically walk 21 miles a week, whereas non-dog owners walk only 7.
The report, which has been commissioned by Butcher’s Pet Care indicates that people who own a dog are likely to exercise at least three times more a week than the rest of the nation, as they walk or run for an average of 74 minutes every day, in addition to their normal exercise.
Of those who took part in the survey, seven in 10 dog owners said they love the fact they manage to get so much exercise now they own a dog, with the majority feeling fitter, healthier and more energetic since owning a dog, and not just in body, but in spirit too, while one in 3 also said walking their dogs allowed them to de-stress after work, and a quarter felt it helped them to escape their busy schedules.
Commenting on the findings, Clare Scallon, marketing manager at the pet food firm said: “Decades ago, owners very rarely needed to walk their dog as they were often just let out into the garden or roamed the local area freely, but times have changed! It is now up to the owners to keep their dogs fit and due to this their fitness levels have increased too.”