Objectives: To describe and estimate the prevalence of dog walking using a nationwide sample.
Methods: 2009 National Household Travel Survey data (N = 5100) were analyzed for: duration of dog walks, number of dog walks/day, total dog walking minutes/day.
Results: In a one-day period, 67% of dog walkers took at least one walk ≥ 10 minutes, 20% walked a dog for at least 30 minutes, and 28% took more than one dog walk. Older participants and participants with children were more likely to accumulate ≥ 30 minutes of dog walking in a one-day period.
Conclusions: A majority of dog walks occurred in bouts ≥ 10 minutes, suggesting dog walking is a legitimate form of health-enhancing physical activity which contributes to meeting physical activity guidelines.