Autum Bonner, left, and Chad McCamish walk across the Walnut Street Bridge with their dogs earlier this year.Celebrate National Walk Your Dog Week this week by getting out and exercising your canine pal.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 40 percent of dogs in America are overweight. Studies show that less active families have overweight pets.
"Our lives are so busy now that people forget to take their pooches out and just walk. All dog breeds need exercise - it's essential to their health and well-being," said pet expert Amber McCrocklin of Tampa, Fla., in a news release.
McCrocklin, the inventor of Freedom Leash, a dual retractable leash that allows two dogs to walk safely together without tangling their leashes, promotes the importance of owners walking their dogs.
Some family pets receive so little exercise that they release their energy in undesirable ways like destructive chewing, garbage can raiding or hyperactivity and excitability, the information noted.
"Major behavior problems can be dramatically reduced and even eliminated by adding more exercise into your pet's daily routine," she said. "Dogs motivate us to stay active. We just need to get out and get moving with them."