10 Ways Hiking With Your Dog Improves Your Health
This blog lists the top ten reasons why walking or hiking with a dog is an epic choice.
Introduction
Walking and hiking are easily accessible outdoor activities that allow us to connect with nature, challenge ourselves, and find solace away from the demands of daily life. Imagine embarking on these adventures with a loving, loyal, and energetic companion by your side. So many of us have a built-in walking companion right at home. 90.5 million households in the United States have a pet dog.[1]
As a dog owner, your four-legged friend is a built-in companion who shares your enthusiasm for exploration and the great outdoors. Hiking with a dog is a transformative experience that not only deepens your bond with your pet but also enhances your overall walking journey.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the ten best reasons to walk or hike with a dog, uncovering the many joys and benefits of this rewarding partnership.
Dogs Provide Unconditional Companionship
Dogs are renowned for their unwavering loyalty and the companionship they provide. The preponderance of the evidence tells us that dog ownership is linked to decreased loneliness and lower incidence of depression.[2]
When you hike with a dog, you have a constant friend who is thrilled to join you on every adventure. Your canine companion’s infectious enthusiasm, wagging tail, and excited demeanor create a positive atmosphere, elevating your hiking experience.
Whether you opt to climb a challenging mountain or stroll through a neighborhood park, consider taking your dog along. With your pooch, you’re never alone on the trail, and there is no one who wants to be there with you more than your dog.
Dogs Can Enhance Our Motivation
Let’s face it, we don’t always wake up ready to take on the great outdoors. On days when motivation might wane, your dog’s eagerness to explore can serve as a powerful incentive to hit the trail.
It’s been shown that dog owners are more likely to meet the rigors of their daily life.[3]
The anticipation of witnessing your pup’s boundless energy and joy as they navigate the wilderness can provide you with the boost you need to overcome any reluctance to embark on a walk or hike.
Dogs Help Us Connect with Nature
Animals help humans connect with nature. It is believed that caring about an individual animal can lead to increased care about the natural world in general.[4]
Dogs are built to sense and revel in their environment. And, to take care of a dog, which requires more effort in terms of planning and patience than taking care of other domestic animals, such as cats, we inevitably need to plan to spend some time outside.
By walking or hiking with your dog, you’ll notice their heightened awareness of scents, sounds, and sights in the environment. This connection to nature becomes contagious, encouraging you to slow down, observe, and appreciate the beauty surrounding you.
You and Your Dog Get Physical Exercise
Dog ownership is linked to greater physical activity levels.[5] Walking and hiking are excellent ways to stay active, and when you have a dog as your walking partner, physical activity becomes even more enjoyable.
Dogs thrive on exercise, and a hike provides them with an outlet to release energy, maintain a healthy weight, and improve cardiovascular health. For you, hiking with a dog adds an extra layer of accountability to stay committed to regular exercise.
Walking with a dog is a sustainable activity that can be as easy or challenging as you choose, providing health benefits for you both. In fact, simply owning a dog results in a 31% reduction in risk for death from cardiovascular disease.[6]
Combining dog ownership with walking or hiking makes for even greater health benefits when you take your dog along!
Walking and Hiking Provide Mental Stimulation
Just as walking and hiking provide mental stimulation for humans, they offer the same benefits for dogs. And, for people, owning a dog improves cognition and enhances brain health.
The theoretical framework for this is that owning a dog leads to repeated and sustained use of specific cognitive processes. This is true for people, old and young. Pet ownership boosts cognition in terms of processing speed, attention orienting, and episodic memory for stories.
Attention orienting is particularly interesting. In the case of pet ownership, one must read cues from the dog and the environment to predict how the dog may behave and then adjust accordingly. This requires speedy and complex thinking, which enhances brain function over time.[7]
This is particularly true in an outdoor environment when walking or hiking. The sights, sounds, and challenges of the trail also engage your dog’s senses and intellect, preventing boredom and promoting mental well-being.
A stimulated and content dog is often a happier and better-behaved companion, so walking with your dog not only gets you both moving, it can also help put you both in the headspace to relax at home when it’s time to settle in for some quiet time.
Walking Together Strengthens Your Bond with Your Dog
Hiking strengthens the bond between you and your dog in ways that indoor activities cannot. Shared activities like walking are the single most important and effective way to create that bond.[8] The shared experiences, challenges, and triumphs create lasting memories that deepen your connection.
Walks taken with your dog will often be the most memorable. Moments when your dog “checks-in” with you by looking at you or licking your hand are strong reminders that, even though your dog is happily exploring, he/she still wants and needs to connect.
Over time, this bond extends beyond the trail, fostering a stronger relationship in everyday life.
Dogs Help Us with Social Interaction
Humans are social animals and crave connections with others. Dog ownership is positively associated with social contact and interaction and increases perceptions of neighborhood friendliness.[9]
Hiking trails are bustling with fellow adventurers and their canine companions. This presents a unique opportunity for your dog to socialize with other dogs and people, enhancing their social skills and confidence.
For you, engaging in conversations with fellow hikers about your dogs can lead to new friendships and connections.
Dogs Provide Stress Relief
The serene landscapes of local parks or far-flung hiking trails coupled with the calming presence of your dog can provide significant stress relief. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, can result in weight gain.
For those of us trying to lose a few pounds around the middle, just having the companionship of a dog will help lower cortisol levels.[10] Combining this cortisol level reduction with walking or hiking can have added benefits for weight loss. Spending time outdoors, away from the pressures of daily life, and enjoying the simple pleasure of exploring nature can help lower stress levels and promote relaxation.
Dogs Enhance Our Sense of Adventure and Exploration
Dogs have an innate sense of curiosity and adventure, which can inspire you to explore new trails and destinations. If you embrace it, your dog’s eagerness to explore uncharted territory can encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and discover hidden gems in the great outdoors.
Your dog is always open to experience new sights, sounds, and smells. Like your dog, you can savor every sensation during any adventure, big or small.
Walking Teaches Both You and Your Dog
Walking and hiking with a dog teaches you valuable lessons in responsibility, patience, and adaptability. One of the greatest benefits of interacting with your dog is the opportunity it provides for you to practice your mindfulness.[11]
You become attuned to your dog’s needs, such as hydration, rest breaks, and safety precautions. This helps you focus on the present moment and not worry about the past or future. You can notice how joyously alert and present your dog is and mirror that engagement.
Likewise, your dog learns essential obedience commands and how to navigate the walking or hiking environment. You have an ideal opportunity to teach basic obedience and to reinforce commands your dog has already mastered.
This is true for both you and your dog. The Japanese practice of forest bathing, being amongst the trees, simply walking in a natural environment, while making a conscious effort to connect with what’s around you, can be enhanced by having a companion who can see, smell, and hear things before you do.
This reciprocal learning experience inevitably strengthens the human-canine relationship.
Conclusion
Walking or hiking with a dog is a transformative experience that brings joy, companionship, and a sense of wonder to every outdoor adventure. The many physical, emotional, and mental benefits of embarking on trails together create a unique bond that enriches both your lives.
Whether you’re exploring a familiar path or venturing into uncharted territory, the presence of your faithful friend adds a layer of excitement, authenticity, and connection to the natural world. Besides, having a dog around is just plain fun!
Walking and hiking in nature with your best friend fosters your mutual love for the great outdoors and for each other.
[1] American Pet Products Association (2021). Pet Industry Market Size, Trends & Ownership Statistics. Available at: https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
[2] Krause-Parello CA. Pet ownership and older women: the relationships among loneliness, pet attachment support, human social support, and depressed mood. Geriatr Nurs. (2012) 33:194–203. 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2011.12.005.
[3] Gee, N, et al. Dogs Supporting Human Health and Well-Being: A Biopsychosocial Approach. Front Vet Sci. 2021; 8: 630465. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.630465
[4] Vining, J. The Connection to Other Animals and Caring for Nature. Human Ecology Review, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2003, p 87-99.
[5] Friedmann E. The animal-human bond: health and wellness. In: Fine AH. editor. Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. New York, NY: Academic Press. (2019). p. 80–93.
[6] Kramer, C, et al. Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcome. 2019 Oct;12(10):e005554. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554.
[7] McDonough, I, et al. Pet ownership is associated with greater cognitive and brain health in a cross-sectional sample across the adult lifespan. Front. Aging Neurosci., 20 October 2022
Sec. Neurocognitive Aging and Behavior. Volume 14 – 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.953889
[8] Olsson, A. Exploring behaviours perceived as important for human—Dog bonding and their translation to a robotic platform. PLoS One. 2022; 17(9): e0274353. 2022 Sep.28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274353
[9] Wood L, Giles-Corti B, Bulsara M. The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital? Soc Sci Med. (2005) 61:1159–73. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.01.017
[10] Rathish, D, et al. The role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with blood pressure, glucose, and lipids: a systematic review. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2021 Sep;28(5):447-455.
doi: 10.1007/s40292-021-00469-3.
[11] Harvard Medical School, Mindfulness and your dog, 2015, February 12. Harvard Health Publishing. health.harvard.edu. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindfulness-and-your-dog
