Taking the best care of your dog
Our dogs need daily exercise to keep them happy and healthy – which usually involves a few walks every day! But our research has found that some owners don’t walk their dogs at all.
Daily exercise is vital for a dog’s physical health and mental wellbeing. It’s also a great way for owners to bond with their pooches, but sadly some dogs just aren’t getting the exercise they need.
In our 2018 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, we discovered that:
- 40% of owners believe there garden is big enough for exercise
- 19% of owners suffer with health problems
- 17% say their dog has health problems
- And 16% of owners say that there are restricted areas for dog walking where they live.
We also asked dog owners if they had concerns when walking their dog. While 47% of owners had no concerns at all, others expressed concerns which included:
- Being scared of their dog being attacked by another dog (17%)
- Time restrictions (13%)
- Concern over their dog’s behaviour on a walk (10%)
- Fear their dog doesn’t come back when called (10%).