ArticleHealth promotion international2021
Functional and recreational dog walking practices in the UK.
Article in Health promotion international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- When Gig Work Gets Ruff: The Affective Benefits of Daily Human-Animal Interactions for Mental Health.International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie · 2026Article
- A Conceptual Framework for the Co-Construction of Human-Dog Dyadic Relationship.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Review of Collars, Harnesses, and Head Collars for Walking Dogs.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Telomere Tales: Exploring the Impact of Stress, Sociality, and Exercise on Dogs' Cellular Aging.Veterinary sciences · 2025Article
- Is dog walking suitable for physical activity promotion? Investigating the exercise intensity of on-leash dog walking.Preventive medicine reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Benefits and Conflicts: A Systematic Review of Dog Park Design and Management Strategies.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Review
- A cross-sectional study of factors associated with regular dog walking and intention to walk the dog.BMC public health · 2022Article
- The Design Challenges for Dog Ownership and Dog Walking in Dense Urban Areas: The Case of Japan.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Dogs and the Good Life: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Association Between the Dog-Owner Relationship and Owner Mental Wellbeing.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Exploring Owner Perceptions of the Impacts of Seasonal Weather Variations on Canine Activity and Potential Consequences for Human-Canine Relationships.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Dog-related activities and human well-being in Brazilian dog owners: A framework and cross-cultural comparison with a British study.Science progress · 2021Article
- Dog Walking before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Experiences of UK Dog Owners.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- "Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Impact of the First COVID-19 Lockdown on Management of Pet Dogs in the UK.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2020Article
- Pet dog bites in children: management and prevention.BMJ paediatrics open · 2020Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Dog walking is a popular everyday activity known to contribute considerably to human health through motivating substantial additional physical activity. However, despite recognition that walking with a dog is substantially different from walking without a dog, little is known sociologically about the practices of dog walking. This study used in-depth interviews with 38 dog owners, combined with autoethnographical observation of dog walking. The aim was to investigate the types of dog walks that occur and the implications of this for the promotion of dog walking to increase human and animal wellbeing. Two distinct types of dog walking were found that had differing influencers and resulting experiences. Functional walks were purposed through feelings of guilt to provide the dog with a convenient form of exercise but were less pleasurable for the owner. In contrast, recreational walks provided significant owner stress-relief and were longer, typically during pleasant weather and at weekends, in less urban environments, and involved more members of the household. Limitations on time availability, conducive weather or accessibility of desirable physical environments for dog walking, generated functional rather than recreational dog walks. These findings have implications for interventions aiming to promote dog walking and for policy relating to the availability of safe and suitable green spaces for encouraging dog walking.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.