Rare treat: Not enough dogs are getting their daily exercise routineOne in five dog owners are too lazy to give their pets a daily walk, a new study has shown.
Despite the advice from vets and animal welfare experts, around two million dogs are not getting enough exercise.
The shocking findings follows the revelation that a third of dogs are now overweight in Britain - and that nearly half could die early because of obesity related illness within a few years.
The survey of 1,000 dog owners carried out by the Kennel Club also revealed that one in three dog owners are themselves overweight.
Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club Secretary, said: 'Too many dogs are not getting the exercise that they need, which can reduce both the length and quality of their life.
'The problem is that people think dogs get enough exercise walking around their back garden.
'But anyone who knows dogs, knows that they will walk around for a while but then sit down by the back door.
'It's a legal requirement that an owner has to meet their dog's daily needs. And that means they need at least one walk of 30 to 40 minutes every day - and ideally a second one.
'It is one of the responsibilities of owning a dog.'
A quarter of dog owners polled by the Kennel Club thought that their dogs got enough exercise by running around the garden.
However, a quarter also admitted that their dogs were overweight and a third said they were overweight themselves.
Vets say that all breeds of dog need daily walks - not just to keep them fit but also to stimulate their minds.
If dogs don't get enough mental stimulation, they can become bored, depressed and cause havoc in the home.
Mrs Kisko said too many people were buying dogs without thinking through how much time and effort they would need to exercise their pets.
Owners also had busier lives - and less time to spend with their pets.
Great Scotty: The lack of exercise means a third of Britain's dogs are obese 'A lot of people buy them as an extension of their family and they take a dog on for the wrong reason,' she said.
'Often they get the wrong breed - they end up with a live wire when they would be better suited to a dog that is less active.'
'Dogs are happy to sleep for most of the day but they need activity.
'You can have a full time job and keep a dog, but you need someone to let the dog out at lunchtime and it needs a walk in the morning, whatever the weather.'
The research was commissioned as part of the Keep Fit with Fido 2010 campaign which will be launched at the sixth Kennel Club International Agility Festival later this month at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire.
Last month an animal welfare charity warned that half of Britain's dogs were destined to suffer a painful and early death because their owners allow them to become too fat.
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals found that the proportion of fat dogs has increased from 21 per cent to 35 per cent over the last four years.
The PDSA estimated that nearly half of all British dogs will be overweight by 2013 if the trend continues to rise, putting them at risk of an early grave.
It blamed owners for overfeeding their pets with treats or mealtimes scraps, or simply not giving them enough exercise,
Fat dogs are now such a common sight, many owners have forgotten what a healthy animal looks like, it said.
source: dailymail
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