ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the reasons why people walk their dogs to understand how best to encourage responsible dog ownership and thus improve dogs’ quality of life, as well as develop ways to make walking the dog a more pleasurable leisure experience for both members of the partnership. An online survey of Australian dog owners found that dog walking did not rate highly as a preferred leisure option. The best predictors of whether dog owners walk their dog at least once per day were work status, type of dwelling and level of attachment to the dog. Walking the dog can be generalised as either chore or leisure for some dog owners but for most it is both – depending on weather conditions, dog behaviour and owner attitude toward dog ownership and physical exercise.
