A doggy Friend?

Several studies show that dogs can motivate their owners to be more active. How? The owners have to take their dog for walks regularly. The same study shows that older people are more likely to take walks with dogs rather than a person.

As one researcher put it, “You need to walk, and so does your dog,” said Rebecca A. Johnson, director of the human-animal interaction research center at the University Of Missouri College Of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s good for both ends of the leash.”

A study last year from the University of Missouri showed that for getting exercise, dogs are better walking companions than humans. In a 12-week study of 54 older adults at an assisted-living home, some people selected a friend or spouse as a walking companion, while others took a bus daily to a local animal shelter, where they were assigned a dog to walk.

And the question remains whether owning a dog encourages regular activity or whether active, healthy people are simply more likely to acquire dogs as walking companions.