Dog walkers
motivated by happiness, not health
It appears to be a case of 'do what
makes you happy' for people who regularly walk their dogs.
According to new University of
Liverpool research, owners are motivated to go dog walking because it makes
them feel happy, not because of other health and social benefits. In the most
in-depth study of dog owner's perceptions of dog walking to date, 26 interviews
were combined with personal written reflections of dog walking experiences.
The researchers found that while
owners may say the reason they go walking is to benefit the dog, the importance
of their own improved happiness and wellbeing is clear.
These feelings of happiness,
however, are contingent on the owner believing that their dog is enjoying the
walk too. Anything that threatens this, such as behaviour problems, a
perception that they have a 'lazy' dog, or their dog is too old, reduces their
motivation to walk.
Increased physical activity and
social interactions with other dog owners were found to be secondary bonuses
but were rarely motivating. Study lead Dr Carri Westgarth, a research fellow at
the University of Liverpool, said: "The factors that motivate dog walking
are extremely complex, yet we know they can strongly motivate human health
behaviour." "It is crucial to understand why owners walk their dogs
if we are to be able to effectively promote owners to walk their dogs
more."
An owner briskly walking their dog
for at least 30 minutes each day easily exceeds the 150 minutes recommended
minimum physical activity per week. If all dog owners did this it would
dramatically boost population levels of physical activity. "Possible key
points for future interventions to increase dog walking are to promote how it
may increase the dogs, and thus the owner's, happiness."
05.09.2017
Never work to please others, work to please yourself
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