National Walk Your Dog Week is a holiday observed annually from October 1st through October 7th. The purpose of this unofficial holiday is to encourage dog owners to take their “best friend” out for daily walks. Why is that important?

It’s important because both dogs and humans get some nifty benefits from walking. It helps fight dog obesity, improves cardiovascular health, reduces insulin resistance, and helps prevent osteoarthritis.

Walking for humans relieves stress, improves cardiovascular health, lowers the risk of diabetes, and helps pet owners bond with their dogs. That’s why people need to use these seven days to walk their dogs — both for the health of their pets and their own health.

The History of National Walk Your Dog Week

This holiday was created by Colleen Paige in 2010. She has over 20 years of expertise in dog behavior and started her illustrious career at the National Institute of Dog Training in L.A. She is also an author and the creator of several holidays including National Dog Day, National Cat Day, and National Puppy Day.

Some Insightful Facts About Dog Walking

Okay, we thought we’d do more than just encourage everyone to walk their dogs during National Walk Your Dog Day. We thought we’d also include some facts and statistics about dog walking that we feel our readers might be interested in reading about.

• Only about 30% to 70% of pet owners walk their dogs regularly.
• The dog walking industry is worth almost $1 billion in 2022.
• Between 2015 and 2022, dog walking services increased by almost 2% each year.
• Dogs that are tired from walking are better behaved than bored dogs.
• In the past, the ancestors of the modern dog had to walk up to 100 miles a day to find food.
• Dog owners who regularly walk their dogs are 35% more likely to meet their daily activity needs.
• Most dogs require approximately 30 minutes of exercise per day to stay healthy.
• Approximately 57% of pet owners who claim to walk their dog daily have admitted that they have skipped at least one walk per week.
• The average dog will encounter four other dogs during a 30-minute dog walk.

Observing National Walk Your Dog Week

Well, according to the name of this holiday, this is a week when everyone should walk their dog. Of course, the hope is that most people will not just walk their dog during this week but that it will instill a habit in them that compels them to walk their dog all year round.

Regular exercise is the best way for people to keep their dogs, and themselves, in good health. After everyone has finished their dog walking for the day, they should let their Internet neighbors know how it went by using the hashtag #NationalWalkYourDogWeek.