Barriers and facilitators to dog walking in New England

Dog walking may increase physical activity among dogs and their owners. Understanding barriers and facilitators to walking the dog is critical to developing interventions to increase dog walking. This study aimed to confirm previously identified barriers and facilitators of dog walking, and to identify unique factors that may be relevant to dog walking in cities with variable weather. This mixed methods study used focus groups to identify barriers and facilitators associated with dog walking and a survey to examine which factors were associated with dog walking. Focus group participants described barriers, such as lack of time, weather, lack of places to walk and the dog's bad behaviour. Facilitators included enjoyment, dog walking norms (defined as the participant's perception of how much the veterinarian, other dog owners, and their family think they should walk the dog), and socialisation opportunities. A hierarchical regression analysis of survey data revealed that the participant's perception of dog walking norms was associated with increased frequency and duration of dog walking, while weather, work and family commitment barriers were associated with a reduced frequency and duration of dog walking. Family, community and veterinarian dog walking norms, inclement weather, and lack of time due to work obligations emerged as important correlates of dog walking. Interventions that aim to increase physical activity by encouraging dog walking may benefit from incorporating strategies that address facilitators (family support) and barriers (time and weather) to walking the dog.