Citation

Degeling C, Rock M. Health Promot. Int. 2013; 28(3): 397-406.

Affiliation

Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, K25 Level 1, Medical Foundation Building, 94-96 Parramatta Rd, 2006 Sydney, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/heapro/das024

PMID

22752107

Abstract

Research into physical activity and human health has recently begun to attend to dog-walking. This study extends the literature on dog-walking as a health behaviour by conceptualizing dog-walking as a caring practice. It centres on qualitative interviews with 11 Canadian dog-owners. All participants resided in urban neighbourhoods identified through previous quantitative research as conducive to dog-walking. Canine characteristics, including breed and age, were found to influence people's physical activity. The health of the dog and its position in the life-course influenced patterns of dog-walking. Frequency, duration and spatial patterns of dog-walking all depended on relationships and people's capacity to tap into resources. In foregrounding networks of care, inclusive of pets and public spaces, a relational conceptualization of dog-walking as a practice of caring helps to make sense of heterogeneity in patterns of physical activity among dog-owners.

Language: en