Use of pedometers to measure physical activity in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether pedometers can be used to measure physical activity in dogs.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
26 dogs.


METHODS
To determine pedometer accuracy, number of steps recorded with the pedometer as dogs walked, trotted, and ran for a distance of approximately 30 m (100 ft) at each gait was compared with actual number of steps. Dogs and owners then wore pedometers for 7 to 14 days, and dog pedometer output was compared with body condition score, owner-reported activity of the dog, and owner pedometer output.


RESULTS
Most owners classified their dogs as active or quite active and indicated that their dogs exercised 3 to 7 days/wk. For all dogs, body condition score was 5, 6, or 7 on a scale from 1 to 9. At a walk, pedometers overestimated actual number of steps by approximately 17% in large and medium dogs and underestimated actual number of steps by approximately 7% in small dogs. No significant differences between pedometer-recorded and actual number of steps were detected when dogs trotted or ran. Number of steps per day for the dogs was significantly correlated with owner-reported activity of the dog (r = 0.305) and number of steps per day for the owners (r = 0.469) and was inversely correlated with body condition score (r = -0.554).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that pedometers can measure physical activity in dogs with reasonable accuracy. A lower number of steps per day was associated with a higher body condition score, and less active owners generally had less active dogs.
Chan
Catherine B
CB
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada.
Spierenburg
Marguerite
M
Ihle
Sherri L
SL
Tudor-Locke
Catrine
C
D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D016552:Ergometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000662:veterinary; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology