Owning a dog makes you healthier, according to science

Here’s another reason to be glad you’re a dog owner – people who own dogs are measurably healthier than people who don’t.

The effect was measured in older people – and found that simply owning a dog may be enough of an exercise regime in itself.

The researchers, at Glasgow Caledonian University, found that over-65s who owned dogs tended to walk 20 minutes a day at moderate pace.

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The study’s lead researcher Dr Philippa Dall said, ‘Dog owners were found to walk over 20 minutes more a day and this additional walking was at a moderate pace.

‘For good health the World Health Organisation recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week.

‘Over the course of a week this additional 20 minutes walking each day may in itself be sufficient to meet these guidelines. Our findings represent a meaningful improvement in physical activity achieved through dog walking.’