01915-A: The Reciprocal Impact of a Healthy and Active Lifestyle on the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Dogs and Their Owners: Physical Activity and Walking (PAW)
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
While it is well established that an active lifestyle and healthy diet can control obesity, there is a paucity of research that has considered the full spectrum of human-dog interactions that contribute to the physical and mental health of a dog and its owner. It is likely that a dog's health, behavior and overall well-being are affected by their owner's lifestyle, including their social interactions and activity level. Dr. Richards believes that in the absence of an active and interactive lifestyle, physical stress, psychological stress and behavior problems likely occur in dogs. Dr. Richards believes that this, in turn, contributes to the documented 47% of owners who report surrender of their dog to an animal shelter because of behavior problems. Dr. Richards will conduct a novel three-month dog walking intervention, with a follow-up at three months and six months post intervention. She believes that increased dog walking will improve the health, behavior, and psychological well-being of dogs and their owners. The results of this study would provide general recommendations for new dog owners, as well as contribute to the standard of care for dogs maintained in laboratories and shelters.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
Help Future Generations of Dogs
Participate in canine health research by providing samples or by enrolling in a clinical trial. Samples are needed from healthy dogs and dogs affected by specific diseases.
