This first week in October is National Walk Your Dog Week! According to the official website, WYDW was founded in 2010 by Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate Colleen Paige, with the goal of bringing awareness to the ever-increasing problem of canine behavior issues and canine obesity in America.
Initially founded for October 1st as a “one day” holiday, Paige later felt that one day was just not enough time to stimulate a continued walking program, so she then founded National Walk Your Dog Week to be celebrated the entire first week of October. She believes that when people witness the changes in their beloved dogs by giving them a week of exercise they normally don’t get, not only will they see a massive difference in their dog’s behavior but the dog parent will feel so good…they won’t want to stop.
This not only helps to save the life of the dog by promoting proper health and quelling behavior issues that might otherwise land them in the shelter facing euthanasia – but it will also help to improve the health of the human companion and possibly save their life down the road as well. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 40 percent of dogs…a total of about 17 million in the United States, are overweight.
Walk Your Dog Week aims to improve the health and well being of America’s dogs and sends the message to unchain your dogs! Says Paige, “With more and more people becoming sedentary and gaining weight due to a lack of exercise, too many dogs don’t get the necessary outlet they need to stay physically and mentally healthy. I feel that part of the overpopulation of dogs in this country is hugely associated with our growing waistlines. Generally, the less a person exercises, the less their dog exercises. Having trained thousands of dogs, it’s my estimation that at least 75% or more of dogs in shelters are there, due to a lack of exercise, which has resulted in serious behavior issues such as aggression, destruction and separation anxiety.”
Often, dogs run away from home because they’re left alone and bored or kept sequestered all day long in a crate or a small yard, which only exacerbates a dog’s destructive, aggressive or anxious tendencies. This, coupled with a lack of exercise and too much fatty food, leads to obesity, as well as medical issues like pancreatitis, diabetes, heart disease and the number one killer of dogs, cancer. October is a beautiful time of year everywhere to get outside. Walking your dog on a daily basis not only increases the endorphins in both human and canine brains {happy chemicals} but it improves the bond between dog parent and dog.
“Friends Walk Together.”
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Photo Credit: Alina Bitta / Shutterstock.com