Impact of Dog's Age and Breed on Dog Owner's Physical Activity: A German Longitudinal Study

Simple Summary Dog ownership has been linked to physical activity of the owners in several countries. Physical activity is also affected by age, size and energy level, as perceived by the owners, of the dogs. Earlier studies were mostly cross-sectional, which does not allow causal conclusions. This study aimed to find differences and changes in the physical activity behavior of owners of ten different dog breeds that were selected based on their size and energy level. Nine dog breed groups were used and owners filled out an online physical activity questionnaire once per year for three years. The results show that dog owners' total and dog-related physical activity as well as their leisure time and dog walking decreased over time. Owners of the dog breed groups differed in all physical activity variables. If only participants who completed the study were analyzed, no changes in any physical activity variable were found. At baseline, owners of different dog breeds differed in the types of reported dog-related activities. Overall, the results indicate that physical activity behavior in dog owners is stable over time. However, no clear pattern could be found based on the age, size and energy level of the dogs. Dog ownership contributes positively to physical activity (PA). The impact of different dog breeds and age on PA is less investigated in longitudinal studies. This study aimed to evaluate PA changes in dog owners as their dogs' ages increased and to explore whether there are differences in PA between owners of different breeds over a three-year period. Owners of different dog breeds were categorized into nine groups according to the perceived energy level and size of the breed. PA was monitored using an online questionnaire for three consecutive years. Linear mixed models (LMM) showed a small, but significant decrease in total PA, leisure time walking, dog-related PA and dog walking over three years. No decreases were found if only participants who attended at all time points were included. In all LMM analyses, a significant relationship between the dog breed and the outcomes of PA were shown. At baseline, dog owners performed different types of activities depending on their dog breed. In conclusion, owners of different dog breeds differ in their types of PA. The study emphasizes that age, size and energy level of the dog does not per se have an impact on dog owners PA.