Fit As Fido: Follow Your Dog To Better Health

Many of you probably don’t know that I have a background in health promotion and public health.  I received my Master’s in Public Health from the University of Michigan back in 2003 and found that I loved studying public health-related topics, but didn’t really love doing it on a daily basis (hence the switch to being an esthetician).  Anyway…point being that when I heard about the book, “Fit As Fido”, I loved the idea of bridging dog ownership and health behavior change!  I asked  author, Dr. Dawn A. Marcus of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center if she would answer a few questions about the book, “Fit As Fido” and living a healthier life with dogs!

A.G.: What does medical research tell us about dog ownership and its relationship to long-term physical health?  Any associated links?

Dr. Marcus: There are amazing links between improved human health and canine companionship. For example, researchers from a veterinary college in Cambridge reported a reduction in minor health complaints by 50% one month after adding a dog to the household. These benefits were maintained long-term, with health complaints still decreased 6 months after getting a dog. There are a wide range of reasons why health improves when a dog enters your life – one of the more obvious reasons is because dog owners walk more. When people were surveyed about walking, they reported walking an average of twice per week. After getting a pet, the number of walks increased to an average of 9 times per week during the first month and 14 times per week after 6 months. Dog owners also have lower blood pressure and triglycerides. You can follow interestingly links between human health and the dogs they love in my daily blog at www.FitAsFido.com.

A.G.: How do dogs help us sleep and eat better?

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Dr. Marcus: My book, Fit As Fido, encourages the readers to adopt healthy lifestyle habits by modeling their behavior after their dogs. The average adult doesn’t get enough sleep each night. Dogs, on the other hand, are excellent sleepers. When dogs are tired, they just plop down for a nap and we may mutter, “Lazy dog. It’s nice that SOMEONE can just lie around all day!” Fido is actually showing you that sleep should be a priority. Sleep promotes good health. Poor sleep increases your risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, migraine, high blood pressure, and infections. Napping is actually a healthy way to fill in sleep gaps. Taking a nap for about 30 minutes in the afternoon has been shown to decrease your risk of dying from heart disease by 37%.
Eating habits can also be improved by modeling our habits after how we feed Fido. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a startling report about how obesity is continuing to increase, with one in every four adults obese. Eating right is an important step for weight control. Watch your dog when he’s bored. Does he walk over to his dog dish or the refrigerator or does he look for a ball to chew or whine at the door to go out and play. Dogs can help teach us that food is for nutritious meals – not a reliever for stress or boredom. Most of us control how much our dogs eat my measuring their food, using small-sized dog dishes to help control portions, and occasionally giving small training treats. These same techniques can help us keep our weight in check.

A.G.: How do dogs help us with stress management? (I’m not sure if this is applicable, but is there also a connection between coping with mental illness and/or diseases like cancer and dog ownership?)

Dr. Marcus: Dogs are excellent stress busters. Research shows that your stress level decreases by petting a dog or just having a dog in the room. One of my favorite studies measured the body’s physiological stress response when asked to perform math calculations. Most people hate doing math – and this causes your heart rate and blood pressure to rise. If a friend or spouse joined people for the calculations, physical signs of stress were still high. But when a dog sat with the person doing math, the stress response decreased AND the math calculations were more likely to be correct!

A.G.: What are some action steps I can take with my dogs to better manage stress?

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Dr. Marcus: We all love telling our dogs how great they are. Psychologists actually teach patients a stress management technique called cognitive restructuring that teaches how to change negative thoughts into positive ones – this results in a lower stress response. So when you’re late for work because you’re stuck in traffic, you might think, “Today’s just starting out to be awful. I’ll never get to work at this rate. How will I ever get my projects done.” More positive thoughts would be, “Since I’ll be ten minutes late for work, I’ll need to reorganize my morning. I always get my work done on time. I know I’m a good employee.” Think you can’t tell yourself positive things? Listen how you talk to Fido, “What a good boy! You’re SO smart and SO precious! Who’s Mommy’s favorite little darling?!” (Oh, you may not admit it, but I’m sure you say this stuff, too!) The next time you tell Fido how great HE is, add in some positive statements about how great YOU are! Hearing positive statements about yourself helps lower your stress response.

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A.G.: As a dog owner, how do I maximize the health benefits that my dog can offer?

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Dr. Marcus: Take advantage of the good exercise, eating, sleeping, and socializing habits you can learn from Fido. Socializing is also linked to better human health. Trying to make each of these areas of your life important priorities, just like Fido does, will maximize your health gains. In Fit As Fido, I have some scheduling logs to help you organize your day to make sure you’re attending to each of these components. Just like you wouldn’t think of leaving for work without brushing your teeth, making good health habits part of your daily routine is the best plan for success.

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A.G.: What about in the case of overweight dogs?  How can owners help their dog while helping themselves?

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Dr. Marcus: In the United States, two in every three adults are overweight and one in every three dogs is overweight. The risk for obesity in dogs is highest between ages 6 and 10 and some breeds of dogs are particularly prone to become obese, like cocker spaniels, labs, golden retrievers, Dachshunds, Shetland sheepdogs, and rottweilers. So both dogs and their owners will benefit from programs to try to improve fitness. If you or your dog is obese, be sure to check with your doctor or vet before beginning a fitness program. Make sure you start a fitness program slowly and advance gradually.

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A.G.: Any final tips?

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Dr. Marcus: Getting fit is a lifelong process of good health habits. As healthy habits become a part of your routine, they will be easier to follow and will give you better health benefits. Remember that every little improvement you make will have some health benefits, so don’t worry if you can’t do as much as you’d like. Also, remember that nobody’s perfect. When you get off track from good habits, don’t put yourself in the doghouse, but grab a leash and your favorite pooch to help you get back on track.

Dawn A. Marucus, MD is a neurologist and professor at the University of Pittsburgh and consultant for Del Monte’s “Power of Paws” program, encouraging human health through dog companionship. An internationally-recognized speaker and educator, Dr. Marcus has written six medical books and received the National Headache Foundation Media Excellence Award.  You can engage in educational conversation for dog lovers on her website and follow her on twitter.