A Social-based Gaming System to Motivate the Dog Walking and Community using Internet-of-Things (IoT) and AI

In recent years, society has shown an increase in pet ownership, however, only a few companies exist to help pet owners keep track of their pet’s health. This paper designs a tool to help track pet owners measure the amount of steps their dogs have taken to measure their pet’s health. We applied our application to our dogs and conducted a qualitative evaluation of the approach. The results show that the tool indeed works and will track the pet’s steps taken, location, and provides a fun and engaging way to interact with the app.

Hormonal and Neurological Aspects of Dog Walking for Dog Owners and Pet Dogs

The hormone oxytocin is involved in various aspects of the relationship between humans and animals. Dog walking is a common activity for dog owners and their dogs. The walk, of course, should be good for the health of the dog as well as its owner. In Experiment I, we assessed whether salivary oxytocin and cortisol in dog owners changed because of walking their dogs. Ten owners walked with their dogs and walked alone. Similar to other previous research, walking with a dog did not significantly change oxytocin and cortisol. Therefore, in Experiment II, we investigated the effect of dog walking on brain noradrenergic and GABAergic neural activity, as indicated by salivary MHPG and GABA, in 14 dog owners. Walking with a dog reduced salivary MHPG compared to walking alone, and MHPG was correlated negatively with GABA. Thus, dog walking activated GABAergic nerves in the brain and suppressed noradrenergic nerves, effectively relieving stress.

Co-Occurrence of Domestic Dogs and Gastropod Molluscs in Public Dog-Walking Spaces and Implications for Infection with Angiostrongylus vasorum: A Preliminary Study

Angiostrongylusvasorum is a helminth parasite of domestic dogs that is increasing in range and prevalence. Its lifecycle requires terrestrial gastropod mollusc (“gastropod”) intermediate hosts, but research is lacking regarding contact risk in situ. We studied co-occurrence between dogs and gastropods in dog-walking spaces in an A. vasorum hotspot in southern England, United Kingdom, with the aim of quantifying environmental and spatio-temporal overlap. We surveyed 390 quadrats and 180 point-counts along 3 km transects at seven sites, yielding 1672 gastropod and 763 dog observations. Common gastropods comprised Arion, Cornu, Monacha, Deroceras, Tandonia, Cochlicella, and Trochulus species. Habitat was the most important factor structuring both gastropod and dog presence and abundance. Likelihood ratio comparisons from conditional probability trees revealed that dogs were 15× more likely to be present on hardstanding surfaces than other habitats but were also present on natural and amenity grassland. Presence of gastropod species associated with high A. vasorum prevalence was 65.12× more likely in woodland/scrub and 62.17× more likely in amenity grassland than other habitats. For gastropods overall, high abundance was 5.82× more likely in woodland/scrub and natural grassland. The findings suggest co-occurrence is highest in amenity and natural grassland, but infection risk is greatest in amenity grassland and woodland/scrub.

Haptic contact with a walking dog improves human balance during a quiet tandem task with various levels of difficulty

BACKGROUND: When a person walks a dog, information from variables of their own postural control is integrated with haptic information from the dog’s movements (e.g., direction, speed of movement, pulling forces). AIM: We examined how haptic information provided through contact with a moving endpoint (here, the leash of a dog walking on a treadmill) influenced an individual’s postural control during a quiet tandem standing task with and without restricted vision and under various elevations of the support surface (increased task difficulty levels). METHOD: Adults performed a 30-second quiet tandem stance task on a force platform while holding a leash attached to a dog who walked on a treadmill parallel to the force platform. Conditions included: haptic contact (dog and no-dog), vision constraint (eyes open, EO, and eyes closed, EC), and surfaces (4 heights). RESULTS: Interaction between haptic condition and vision showed that contact with the dog leash reduced root mean square (RMS) and mean sway speed (MSS). RMS showed that the highest surface had the greatest rate of sway reduction during haptic contact with EC, and an increase with EO. CONCLUSION: The dog’s movements were used as a haptic reference to aid balance when eyes were closed. In this condition, contact with the dog’s leash reduced the extent of sway variability on the higher surfaces.

Dog Walking and the Social Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Loneliness in Older Adults

Pet ownership can provide important companionship and facilitate social connections, which may be particularly important to socially isolated older adults. Given the significant deleterious impact of loneliness on health and wellbeing in later life, many predicted that public safety measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic would greatly increase loneliness, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults. We investigated whether dog walking buffers loneliness in the context of stressors imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal survey data were obtained from a Florida community-based sample of adults (n = 466) aged 60+ years old in September 2018 and October 2020. Using OLS regression models, we tested: (a) the association between the social consequences of COVID-19 and changes in loneliness, and (b) the buffering effect of dog walking on this relationship. The high social consequences of COVID-19 were related to increases in loneliness. Walking a dog daily buffered the relationship. These results suggest potential therapeutic effects of dog walking for the promotion of mental health in older adults, particularly in the context of stressful situations that accentuate risks for loneliness.

Dog Walking before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Experiences of UK Dog Owners

Background: This study investigated the impacts of the first COVID-19 UK lockdown on dog walking and ownership. Methods: An online survey was circulated via social media (May–June 2020). Completed responses (n = 584) were analysed using within- and between-group comparisons, and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were created. Open-ended data were coded into key themes. Results: During lockdown, dogs were walked less frequently, yet for a similar duration per week and closer to home. Dogs whose owners lived alone, or whose owners or household members had heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 were walked less than before, as were high-energy dogs. A minority of owners continued dog walking despite exhibiting symptoms or needing to self-isolate, justifying lack of help, dog behavioural problems, living in less populated areas, and the importance of outdoor exercise for their mental health. Dog ownership had multiple benefits (companionship, purpose and motivation; break from bad; positive to focus on) as well as challenges (changes in dog behaviour, balancing dog needs with public health guidance, accessing pet food/supplies and services, and sharing crowded outdoor spaces with others). Most did not have an emergency care plan for their pet before the pandemic and only a handful developed one. Conclusions: Findings can be used to inform public health and dog welfare strategies for future lockdown situations or other disasters and emergencies likely to impact on daily routines.

Walking in a winter wonderland? an assessment of winter maintenance and physical activity features in Smythe Park, Toronto

Objective. To determine how the features, conditions, and maintenance of a low-income park affect the use of the park for physical activity during the winter months. Method. Direct observation of park use; assessment of park quality based on a developed assessment tool; and supplementary surveys with park users. Results. The park lacked winter park features (e.g. ice rink, tobogganing hill) and supporting amenities (e.g. washrooms, rental facilities). There was evidence of winter maintenance, however, it was inconsistent: most trails were cleared of snow on all visits, but large ice patches were present and had not been cleared. The park was used primarily for walking and dog walking, although respondents noted that the lack of maintenance in the park affected if they used it for physical activity. Conclusion. Winter maintenance of parks and the presence of winter features affect park use, with snow removal, ice removal, and the presence of bathrooms having a strong influence on physical activity levels in the winter months. Park planners should consider year-round maintenance and programming in order to promote engagement in physical activity during all seasons.

Dog ownership, dog walking, and social capital

Evidence for social pathways to health benefits for dog owners appears positive but less well-developed. Our study aimed to estimate the differences in social capital by dog ownership and dog walking status among young-to-middle-aged adults and older adults in Japan. Data from 3606 residents living in Japan were used. Data on social capital, dog ownership, and dog walking were collected by questionnaires. Age-stratified multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate differences in social capital scores by dog ownership and dog walking status. Among young-to-middle-aged adults, the mean of the activities with neighbours score, adjusted for covariates, was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the dog owner walkers group compared to the non-dog owners group. Among older adults, no significant differences in the marginal means of social capital scores were observed between the three groups of non-dog owners, dog owner non-walkers, and dog owner walkers. While the benefits of social capital for a healthy lifestyle have been well-documented, few means have been identified to intervene in social capital. Building on and expanding the known health benefits of dog ownership and dog walking, this study revealed modest support for the link between dog walking and activities with neighbours among young-to-middle-aged adults, but no meaningful associations were found for older adults. Additionally, no significant link was observed between dog walking and social cohesion among either age group. Future research can further improve the use of dog-based behavioural health interventions for fostering social capital.