ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to contribute to a deep understanding of the dog walking experience in urban greenspace, so that such activity can be promoted and managed through public health and life quality programmes. The companionship of a dog usually motivates people to use urban greenspaces for daily walks. Dogs are sometimes understood in relation to the role they play in the context of a job or sport; alternatively, they may be viewed as status symbols. This utilitarian view can be related to the conceptualisation of dogs as objects, necessarily meaning that they can be used by virtue of their being the subject of ownership. Although the dog walking experience appeared to be quite exclusive, involving dog–human couples, the findings suggest that, to a certain extent, the dog walking experience is also shared with other people, more precisely with other dog–human couples.
