Jack L. Stevens, DVM, Founder/President of Pets Best Insurance
Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, is a traveling, board-certified veterinary surgeon near Allentown, Pennsylvania. His professional interests include soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, and neurosurgery. A prolific international speaker and writer for twenty-five years, he has often written about pet obesity. He writes an award-winning, free, e-mail-based newsletter read by pet lovers in all fifty states and twenty-eight countries (visit www.DrPhilZeltzman. com). He is a contributor to Dog Fancy, The Bark, and Veterinary Practice News. Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Millsap Professor for Gerontological Nursing and Public Policy at the University of Missouri. She holds a joint appointment at the College of Veterinary Medicine as the director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (visit www.rechai.missouri.edu). Author of over forty publications, she is called upon nationally and internationally to speak about human-animal interaction. In 2010 she was elected president of the International Association of HumanAnimal Interaction Organizations. ISBN 978-1-55753-581-8
Purdue University Press
West Lafayette, Indiana www.thepress.purdue.edu
$16.95
How You and Your Dog Can Lose Weight, Stay Fit, and Have Fun Together
Zeltzman and JoHnson
A dog is an ideal workout partner: always supportive, happy to go for a walk, and never judgmental. When people and dogs exercise together, fitness and health happen on both ends of the leash. As the obesity epidemic spreads, 70 percent of Americans and 50 percent of dogs are overweight or obese, resulting in staggering health care costs and suffering. The causes, consequences, and treatment for the overweight and obese are strikingly similar in people and dogs. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, written by an expert veterinary surgeon and leading nurse researcher, helps you move from a food-centered relationship with dogs to an exercise-centered relationship. This volume is designed for dog lovers, dog owners, and families. Based on the latest scientific findings, it will also help professionals (including physicians, veterinarians, and physical therapists) fight obesity and promote fitness in both people and pets. Never has there been a more compelling time for innovative approaches to increasing physical activity, reforming sedentary lifestyles, and enhancing fitness. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound provides specific strategies for people and dogs to exercise together, lose weight together, and have fun in the process.
walk a hound lose a pound
“A great practical, easy-to-implement solution that helps humans and pets.”
y ord b Forew Becker rty Dr. Ma ca’s Vet” ri e “Am
by Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS and
Rebecca A. Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS and Rebecca A. Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Purdue University Press West Lafayette, Indiana
Table of Contents
foreword vii
preface Walking toward health ix
acknowledgments xii
chapter 1 Dog walking: the ideal activity for fitness and weight loss 1
chapter 2 Know the health numbers for you and your dog 17
chapter 3 Why getting fit is so important for you and your pet 43
chapter 4 Dog walking, step by step 63
chapter 5 Outfitting for fitness 89
chapter 6 Hate walking? Here are other great activities with your dog 99
chapter 7 Get help from the pros 111
chapter 8 Start something big! 131
chapter 9 Creating new patterns 147
resources 151
index 157
iv
Foreword
A
rf, arf, let’s go for a walk. Now! If dogs could tell us what they want, we would be sure to hear this. In the wake of a terrible obesity epidemic in dogs and their people, we need to listen to our dogs and get busy walking them. Dogs don’t like being “born retired.” They have a natural inclination to get the exercise they need. If we only follow their lead, we can all be healthier and happier. This exciting new book uses research evidence to take a detailed look at the newly recognized phenomenon of dog walking as a great physical activity. For decades, people have been super-sizing their hamburgers and French fries, all the while downsizing their physical activity. They have been giving their dogs too much love in the form of treats and not enough in walks and play. It’s time to put a stop to these patterns that are diminishing both the quality and quantity of life for our pets and ourselves. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound shows how important it is for us to get up and get moving with a dog. It takes us through the process of preparing a walking program and then getting started with it. This book gives a realistic view of dog walking and provides a creative, fresh approach to it. Don’t own a dog? No problem. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound will tell you how you can enjoy dog walking and at the same time help a dog that needs some exercise. Shelter dogs and neighborhood pets are longing to go for a walk. They can help you get the exercise you need, while you help them become more adoptable and prepared to be a great v
Walk a hound lose a pound
family member. Know an older person or a disabled person who can’t walk their dog enough? Become their dog walker and get some exercise yourself! Dogs are looking to give you unconditional love and acceptance—things that all of us need but few of us have—and they love to walk. No excuses. There are no better offers that come along that trump dog walking in terms of health benefits and general well-being. What a natural stress reliever! In an era of economic, work, family, and internal stress, people need to be loved and to love. Walking a dog shows your love for animals, your kindness in helping neighbors and others in your community, and your belief that you are well worth taking care of. So get out there and start walking a dog, today! Dr. Marty Becker “America’s Veterinarian” Veterinary Contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show Author, columnist, and Adjunct Professor at three US Veterinary Schools
vi
Preface
Walking toward health
T
his book is the culmination of over 3 years of work formulating ideas, collecting information, drafting and redrafting. It is meant to help people understand and begin the healthy process of dog walking. It is aimed at pet lovers, and may also be useful for students and practitioners in health care professions, those planning and implementing public health programs, and service organizations wanting to sponsor healthy lifestyle changes in their communities. The collaboration between human and veterinary medicine is a natural one. For example, nurses commonly help people promote wellness and prevent illness. Teaching people how to do this is vitally important to nurses’ mission. The success that people achieve in living a healthy lifestyle is a measure of nursing’s success. Other human health professionals play important roles in facilitating health by treating disease (physicians), promoting mental health (counselors), improving eating habits (nutritionists, dieticians) and restoring function (physical and occupational therapists). Because veterinary medicine aims at treating disease and promoting health in animals, it is ideally suited to help people take steps (pun intended!) to help their dogs be as healthy as possible. The strong relationships between people and their dogs (a.k.a. the human-animal bond) can be especially important in the work of all health care professions. We make commitments to our dogs; we love
vii
Walk a hound lose a pound
them and want them to be healthy. In doing so, we can engage in healthy behaviors that benefit ourselves as well. The concept of “One Health” is popular, and means that people and animals experience many of the same illnesses and can benefit from many of the same solutions to live longer, healthier lives. In this book we embrace One Health as a guiding principle. People and animals can promote health in each other through their reciprocal bond. In this book, we do not identify the causes of obesity in dogs and people. Instead, we discuss the creative ways that people and their dogs can fight obesity by exercising together and eating a healthy diet. Dog walking is perhaps uniquely able to help promote physical and emotional health on both ends of the leash. Getting exercise while enjoying nature, giving and receiving positive feedback, and interacting with other dog lovers makes dog walking a unique physical activity. In this book, we suggest that it can be the foundation for a healthier lifestyle. So let’s get started!
viii
chapter title
Acknowledgments
P
hil Zeltzman would like to acknowledge the contribution of many pet owners, referring veterinarians, and veterinary specialists who were generous with their time and knowledge. Rebecca A. Johnson would like to acknowledge Charlotte McKenney, Assistant Director of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human Animal Interaction for her consistent dedication to the Walk a Hound Lose a Pound program and study. Veterinary Medical student Annie Chih’s assistance was greatly appreciated. The author would also like to acknowledge her colleague and friend, Jackie Epping of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for encouraging the program. In addition, she would like to recognize the excellent collaboration of the Central Missouri Humane Society, its Executive Directors (Patty Forister and Dr. Alan Allert) and their staff. She also recognizes the significant collaborative support of the Columbia, Missouri Parks and Recreation Department, including the enthusiasm of Karen Ramey, Erin Carrillo, and their staff members. The dedication of the Walk a Hound Lose a Pound program and study participants helped to improve the adoptability of the more than 600 dogs participating in the program to date. This is gratefully appreciated! The authors acknowledge the dog lovers who have provided testimonials and pictures for this book. We also acknowledge the city of Lubbock, Texas, for its work with an early Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound dog walking program. ix
Dog walking can be a daily habit.
1
Dog walking: the ideal activity for fitness and weight loss
Y
ou can build upon the love you share with your dog to reach a greater goal: lose weight or stay fit. Whether either one of you needs to lose weight or you want to stay in shape, a dog is an ideal walking partner. Because dogs and their people have similar needs for fitness and a commitment to each other, dog-walking is a fun, fulfilling way to get exercise for both of you. The best part is, walking a dog doesn’t even feel like exercising!
What’s the problem? The World Health Organization estimates that there are approximately 350 million obese people and over 1 billion overweight people in the world. Annually about 2.5 million deaths are attributed to overweight and obesity worldwide.1 In the U.S., between 1998 and 2000, overweight and obesity-related illness cost $75 billion in medical spending.2 Obesity is part of the metabolic syndrome, a group of health problems that result in several chronic illnesses and loss of function. The rising rates of obesity in the U.S. have been linked with the national problem of limited physical activity. The problem has gotten so severe that even coffins need to be “super-sized” to accommodate the increasing girth of Americans. In fact, health care facilities are replacing toilets with new ones rated for over 500 pounds of weight. Even in the recreation industry, overweight and 1
Walk a hound lose a pound
obesity are having an effect. For example, the new Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, FL prevents large people from participating in rides because of safety harness limitations (http://www.newsoxy.com/travel/ harry-potter-ride-fat-13543.html). In addition, some claim that Disney closed the “It’s a small world” attraction for 10 months in order to deepen the water channels and design more-buoyant boats (One of several sources: LA Times, 11-9-2007). The problem was reportedly that the boats were not designed for overweight passengers and the embarkations would get stuck. The overweight and obesity epidemic is something that we can stop by making healthy decisions about our lifestyles. We eat too much and don’t get enough exercise. So we need to use commonsense ways to stop this dangerous cycle. Enter dog walking. It is a natural part of owning a dog. Our dogs need exercise and so do we. First we want to begin with a brief description of the ways that owning a dog in general can help people be healthier. Then we’ll launch into dog walking as the ideal solution to the overweight and obesity problem.
Dog ownership is healthy Researchers have found that people who own dogs are healthier than people who don’t. For example, the mere presence of the owner’s dog while the owner was doing a challenging mathematical task, resulted in less stress and better completion of the task than when either a friend or a partner were present.3 The physical health benefits of dog ownership happen because of powerful hormones in the blood that increase when pet owners see, touch, smell their dogs or talk to them. This helps the person feel more relaxed.4 Dog owners are also more likely to survive after having a heart attack than non-dog owners.5 Owning a dog can also help to lower blood pressure as well as triglyceride and cholesterol levels.6 Scientists in Australia found that pet owners (we do include cats here) were healthier and made fewer visits to their doctor than those without pets. This saved $988 million in health care costs over one year.7 The same trend occurred in Germany, where people who continuously owned pets were the healthiest and made 15% fewer doctor visits.8 2
dog walking, the idealactivity for fitness and weight loss
Psychological health benefits of dog ownership Owning a dog also helps us to have better emotional and psychological health. In fact, feeling attached to your pets in general can help you feel better.9 This is especially strong in older adult pet owners, and people with AIDS.10 Owning a pet improves our morale, which is especially important for older adults because with better morale, they are more likely to get out, stay involved with others, participate in recreational activities, instead of being alone and inactive.11 Anyone who has owned dogs, knows that they give us unconditional love and support, and that they are often helpful to parents in teaching children how to love, be responsible and care for someone else.12, 13, 14 Pets inspire us to relax and have fun.15 They depend on us to take care of them. Owning a pet can help us have less anxiety, depression and social isolation, as well as increase our physical activity.16 Socially, dogs help promote conversation and other social interaction.17 When people walk their dogs in a park, they interact more with other park users than when they walk the same route alone.18 Dogs are conversation “ice breakers.� In fact, people who have a dog with them are viewed by others as more likeable than those without a dog.19 Dog owners are more likely to do favors for one another, trust others, do volunteer work, participate in school-related activities, sports and recreational clubs, and contribute to a sense of community than are non dog owners. Dog owners also feel safer in their own homes because of the presence of other dog walkers in their neighborhoods. Living in a neighborhood where people are walking their dogs means that when we need help, someone is more likely to find out about it and to help. Dog ownership fosters a sense of community.20, 21
Dog walking benefits for people The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that to maintain optimal health and weight, adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes per week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of the two types of activity.22, 23 Walking is an excellent activity to meet this recommendation. Commitment to dog ownership 3
Walk a hound lose a pound
Christine, a Pennsylvania resident, says: “When my children were young, I worked in a nursing home. The best day of the week for most of the residents was when a volunteer came with her poodle. This little dog loved everyone and always looked as though he were smiling. He could melt the heart of even the gruffest resident. Everyone always gravitated to him and wanted to pet him. There were always lots of smiles on those days.”
involves meeting the dog’s need for exercise. Dog walking may be an important factor motivating physical activity. Cindy Lentino of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services recently studied 916 people who were either non-dog owners, dog owners who walked their dogs, or dog owners who did not walk their dogs. She found that dog owners who walked their dogs reported fewer hours of sitting per day, lower body mass index, lower tobacco use, fewer chronic health conditions and depression symptoms, and greater social support. So dog ownership merged with dog walking is a win-win situation. People who own dogs are more likely to meet physical activity recommendations than those who don’t own dogs because of this commitment. In Australia, dog owners walk on average 18 minutes per week more than non-dog owners.24 In the United Kingdom, dog owners do much more exercise than either cat owners or adults without pets.25 In the US, nearly half of adults who walk dogs get at least 30 minutes of walking per day.26 In Canada, dog owners get their recommended physical activity through dog-walking. There, owners walk an average of 5 hours per week, compared with 3 hours for non-dog owners.27 People who walk dogs also have more contact with other people’s dogs, so they can get even more of the benefits of human-dog contact.28 When dog walking occurs in neighborhoods, people interact more with others, and see their neighborhoods as friendlier.29 So walking a dog may not only help people be healthier through physical activity, it may help people to have more of a social life and to feel more positive about their 4
dog walking, the idealactivity for fitness and weight loss
Paul, a life-long dog-walker “This reflection on dogs and their human companions glances at how they partner for health and happiness. This relationship best evolves from dog walking as an important part of human and canine life. Here are three stories, as rather an affidavit for my wife (91 years young) and myself (93) for staying in excellent health as partners in “walking the dog.” First was Ted, a fox terrier: he entered my life when I was 11, “saw” me through college, military service and the start of a career. No playmates of my age lived nearby in the rural Appalachian valley of my upbringing; so boyhood hikes with Ted led to a bonding and my initial sense of what that meant. Ted was my best friend. Later Bogie, a schnauzer, came along when I was 45, and prompted a vital and personal question: “Do I possibly have the time to walk this dog?” I had become the president of a university, with a busy wife and two children. While all in the family took part, it was most important for me to be off each early morning and each late evening for those walks, no matter the professional and personal duties. He was an unrelenting companion and source of relaxation. Later followed a chapter in which our children, in maturity, shared the pleasures and benefits of having a dog in their families. Ben, an Australian shepherd, joined our household. To this day, he brings the verities in every canine soul. He shares with us his never-failing acts of love and forgiveness, compassion and gratitude, the pure joy of the daily walks, and his loyalty.”
neighborhoods. Researchers in Australia found that this “social capital” was improved by people walking dogs in their neighborhood. The dog walkers helped to make the neighborhoods seem safer (extra eyes watching), friendlier, and more conducive to positive social interaction. 5
Jack L. Stevens, DVM, Founder/President of Pets Best Insurance
Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, is a traveling, board-certified veterinary surgeon near Allentown, Pennsylvania. His professional interests include soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, and neurosurgery. A prolific international speaker and writer for twenty-five years, he has often written about pet obesity. He writes an award-winning, free, e-mail-based newsletter read by pet lovers in all fifty states and twenty-eight countries (visit www.DrPhilZeltzman. com). He is a contributor to Dog Fancy, The Bark, and Veterinary Practice News. Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Millsap Professor for Gerontological Nursing and Public Policy at the University of Missouri. She holds a joint appointment at the College of Veterinary Medicine as the director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (visit www.rechai.missouri.edu). Author of over forty publications, she is called upon nationally and internationally to speak about human-animal interaction. In 2010 she was elected president of the International Association of HumanAnimal Interaction Organizations. ISBN 978-1-55753-581-8
Purdue University Press
West Lafayette, Indiana www.thepress.purdue.edu
$16.95
How You and Your Dog Can Lose Weight, Stay Fit, and Have Fun Together
Zeltzman and JoHnson
A dog is an ideal workout partner: always supportive, happy to go for a walk, and never judgmental. When people and dogs exercise together, fitness and health happen on both ends of the leash. As the obesity epidemic spreads, 70 percent of Americans and 50 percent of dogs are overweight or obese, resulting in staggering health care costs and suffering. The causes, consequences, and treatment for the overweight and obese are strikingly similar in people and dogs. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, written by an expert veterinary surgeon and leading nurse researcher, helps you move from a food-centered relationship with dogs to an exercise-centered relationship. This volume is designed for dog lovers, dog owners, and families. Based on the latest scientific findings, it will also help professionals (including physicians, veterinarians, and physical therapists) fight obesity and promote fitness in both people and pets. Never has there been a more compelling time for innovative approaches to increasing physical activity, reforming sedentary lifestyles, and enhancing fitness. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound provides specific strategies for people and dogs to exercise together, lose weight together, and have fun in the process.
walk a hound lose a pound
“A great practical, easy-to-implement solution that helps humans and pets.”
y ord b Forew Becker rty Dr. Ma ca’s Vet” ri e “Am
by Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS and
Rebecca A. Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN