Need motivation to keep up your exercise program? No need to hire a personal trainer or pay for a boot camp. You don’t have to look any further than your dog.

A new survey in the British paper, The Daily Mail, found that people who have dogs tend to get more exercise than the average gym member.

According to the survey of 5,000 Britons, dog people walk their pets, on average, twice a day for 24 minutes each walk. (And at least three times a week, the walks are even longer.) Those of us who walk our dogs regularly, know that our dogs need this much exercise to work off energy, relieve themselves or just get a change of scenery.

When you add up the hours, you have dog walkers getting around six to eight hours of exercise per week! On the other hand, those without a dog spend just one hour and 20 minutes a week on average on regular exercising like  going to the gym or going out for a jog or stroll.

The  study found that 60 percent of dog owner made the time to walk their pooches, while nearly half of gym goers admitted to finding other things to do instead of going to the gym.

With the weather warming up, you can once again look to taking your pooch to a dog park for a romp. Dog parks can be a great place for dogs to work out some energy in the way they love, through play with friends. (And you all you have to do is sit there and watch.) Here are some things you need to consider before going.

Dog Park Etiquette

• Read the rules of the park as you go in and heed them. This makes the park safe and fun for all.
• If your dog is new to the dog park, take small steps. Visit a few times and watch from outside the gate. You’ll get him or her used to the idea and you’ll get a sense of if your dog can handle it.
• In fact, you and your dog will have very good visits if she or he is trained, at the least, to come when called.
• Exercise your dog before you go to drain a little energy. According to Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan, “This way he’ll be relaxed, but will still engage the other dogs.” Ideally, a walk to the dog park will be a good warm up.
• Not only do you want to keep your dog in sight, but you should make contact with him or her. Occasionally talk to your dog a calm, assertive voice and with eye contact to remind him you are there and in charge.
• Make sure your dog is protected with all the vet-recommended shots before you go. Dogs can pick up worms and diseases such as parvo at a dog park — or anyplace else dogs congregate. Also, make sure he or she has had their regular heartworm and flea medication. And please, clean up after your dog.
• Do keep a regular collar and dog tag on your dog at all times, but absolutely unleash her. Otherwise, she can become a target for other dogs to “investigate” which can create anxiety or defensiveness in the leashed dog and provoke a situation.
• When dealing with other dog, learn canine body language is a good idea. Sometimes, people do not recognize signs of true aggression and assume the dogs will “work it out”, or, on the other hand, may overreact to what is healthy dog play.
• It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, not all dogs should attend dog parks. Obviously aggressive dogs would not be a good idea. Anxious or fearful dogs may be too overwhelmed and overreact. Puppies should be at least four months old and fully vaccinated.
• Do not bring small children into a dog park. A dog that is socialized with other dogs, may still be unfamiliar with children. And young children don’t know dog-appropriate behavior.
• If the park is full, just wait for another time to visit.

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