Will having a dog help me to exercise more?

The simple answer is yes.  Anyone who owns a dog will tell you that depending on the energy level of the breed, dogs need to be exercised several times a day.  Many dogs, like mine, need a significant amount of high level physical activity per week.  This typically equates to less overall sedentary time in urban-dwelling owners.  Here’s my simple equation for additional exercise: 

small yard + big dog = less sitting time for me

 There’s actually research departments looking at the data related to dog ownership and physical activity rates.  A 2006 study published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine by local (UVic) researcher Ryan Rhodes found that dog owners walked an average of 300 minutes a week compared to 168 minutes a week for non-owners.

I would never encourage someone to adopt a dog based on increasing their level of exercise; dogs are an enormous committment and take time away from other areas of you life.  However, if you’re toying with the idea of getting a dog, picking a breed that you can exercise with might be something you want to consider.  I really wanted a pug but knew that a large breed dog who could act as my running partner made far more sense.  My high-energy large dog also is great for other active areas of our lifestyle like hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, and camping.  The added bonus is that although my dog sleeps away most of the day while I work, he usually gets me up and away from my computer at least once during the work day.

Bottom line: Dogs are exercise partners that are always happy to join you in any weather, regardless of your mood, and don’t mind if you’re wearing that same old stinky running shirt

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