The old saying about a “dog being man’s best friend” is starting to follow trends of the human race. Estimates are that 66 percent of the population is either overweight or obese, and now that same problem is showing up in veterinarian circles.

I was talking with Dr. Jill Todd, DVM the other day; and she has received brochures advertising a liquid product that you can give to a dog once a day to satisfy their appetite, and hopefully the dog will not eat as much. Her advice for overweight dogs is similar to that of people in the fitness field: that is, to get more exercise and eat a more healthy selection of food.

It reminds me of a cartoon that shows a pudgy gentleman sitting at a computer and commenting, “Can you believe this guy saying that to lose weight you need to exercise more and eat less? Where do they get such crazy ideas?”

With that in mind, if you are thinking of starting an exercise program, walking a dog is a great way to start. Walking the dog is beneficial for both the owner and the dog.

Dogs by nature will follow a sedentary lifestyle if given the opportunity. I haven’t seen a dog run laps around the yard or run up and down the stairs for exercise unless a human is around to watch them or encourage them. Some will chase sticks or Frisbees forever and enjoy the exercise and playtime with the owner. But for the beginner in fitness a dog is a good starting point. At the beginning a dog will stop at every telephone pole, street sign, tree, and even some bushes to sniff and see who else has been by that spot.

They will also stop at every yard that has a dog to say “hello” and let the yard dog know that they are out for a walk. For the beginner this is great, as you can get a nice walk in at a very leisurely pace with frequent rest stops.

As you reach better fitness levels, you can train the dog to not make as many stops. Remember that you are supposed to be the owner or boss and that it is not necessary to stop at every outpost along the route. Now the walk takes less time; and if you want to walk for an hour that means you can walk a further distance and get more exercise. The dog has four legs and will adjust to this longer distance probably faster than you will.

The dog will also be able to adjust to a faster pace quicker than you also. But since they are man’s best friend, they will stay with you and let you set the pace. There are a few exceptions to that rule; and when I walk my dog, a Great Pyrenees that weighs over 100 pounds, when he wants to pick up the pace I pretty much need to move a little faster.

I keep trying to tell him that I am the boss, but he is a slow learner and still dictates the pace.

Once you reach the point where you can walk the dog with minimum stops and set a decent walking pace, both the dog and owner will begin to lose weight, feel better, and achieve a higher fitness level. Both will actually look forward to the daily walk together and be ready for the next step up in fitness. That next step is to try a slow jog for a few blocks, now and then followed by a few blocks of brisk walking. The dog will adjust to this quickly, even though I know of a few dogs that have a set pace and that does not include running fast. More training with the dog is needed to show them who is the owner and master of the group.

I see runners being paced by their dog, and the dog will find it easy to keep up with the partner on two legs. By now both dog and owner are losing weight, and a nice walk or run is something that a part of the daily routine.

I have seen a few dogs keeping up with the owner riding a bicycle. This is when the dog is in better condition than the owner, but it goes a long way from preventing the dog from becoming obese.

If you have a dog, you owe it to it to take it on a walk or at least let it run someplace for some exercise. The dog will love it; and if you go along on the walk you will love it also. Whether you planned on starting a fitness program for yourself or not, you can be a best friend to your dog and make sure that they get some fitness in every day so that visits to the veterinarian will result in a healthy check-up. And if you are walking along with the dog your check-up will be better also.