Nessu the dog takes their human for a walk
Just over a year ago, our family welcomed a small Greek rescue dog called Nessu. Along with Nessu, our days have taken on a new rhythm: Whatever the weather, we go out. Walking the dog has led us to explore not only the nearby neighbourhoods, but also the city’s nature paths and even more remote natural destinations.
I can thus personally attest to the positive impact dogs have on well-being.
Doctoral Researcher Aija Siiriäinen and Associate Professor Hanna-Mari Ikonen from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences are studying mobility with dogs in society and as part of people’s everyday life.
“Dogs get people moving,” the researchers point out, “with their dogs and thanks to them, dog owners are physically active in different ways, organising their lives and spending time outdoors in a range of places and environments.”
The researchers are now interested in the dog’s role in daily work and remote working, physical activity with dogs in nature and physcial activity of human-dog-dyads in public spaces.
A dog gives you the chance to admire the scenery
Thanks to Nessu, I have gotten to know my neighbourhood in a whole new way. The dog is interested in ditches, bushes and railway tracks, muddy puddles and piles of garbage. Before the dog came to our home, I imagined I would be the one to decide where we would go and that we would take brisk, planned walks.
In reality, we go where Nessu’s nose takes us, wandering about and stopping frequently. At Nessu’s pace, we have time to admire seasonal changes and have a chat with neighbours.
Ikonen explains that not all dog–human dyads are like this. Some dogs and their owners love fast-paced running or skijoring and exercise at a high intensity.
A dog gives rhythm to remote work
In their study, Ikonen and Siiriäinen have interviewed peope who live with dog and work remotely.
People tend to move much less during a day of remote work compared to days at office, because breaks are often skipped when working remotely, and there are no commutes,” Ikonen says.
“In contrast, the dog provides rhythm to their owner’s workday and facilitates well-being at work. The flexibility of remote work means people can have and use opportunity to get outdoors during daylight hours in the winter, for example.”
That’s exactly how it is. My remote workdays start more energetically when I go for a brief morning walk with Nessu. The best part of remote workdays, however, is the dog’s presence. Nessu keeps me company by napping through Teams meetings, and provides paw therapy in difficult situations.”
Is there room for dogs in the urban space?
This spring, Ikonen and Siiriäinen are conducting a survey for their next study. The survey is directed at dog owners in Jyväskylä.
Researchers are investigating what kind of environment Jyväskylä offers for living with a dog and how dog owners experience the physical activity environments that their dogs prefer. The survey also examines about what factors prevent daily activities with dogs, and in what ways people are active with their dogs.
The researchers wish to broaden the understanding of what physical activity with a dog can be. As long-standing dog owners and dog enthusiasts, the researchers have noticed that Jyväskylä is not necessarily an ideal environment for dogs.
There should also be opportunities for more varied physical activities with dogs, like swimming, skiing, or more goal-oriented dog training, such as obedience training,” Siiriäinen explains.
“The city’s only appointed place for dogs to swim, for example, is hard to access, and it is also difficult to find suitable facilities for dog training activities here.”
With Nessu, we almost completed a basic dog training course, but we haven’t ventured into anything more challenging yet. Here in Jyväskylä we would like to see more green areas and a dog park that was less like a prison yard.
A happy and healthy dog brings joy to people’s daily lives
The researchers wish for more flexible culture and more relaxed attitudes toward urban spaces, which would make room for a diverse range of people and animals.
“People often think that dogs should not be visible in the city."
"A dog is expected to be obedient right away, and training a dog in urban space is not considered acceptable,” Siiriäinen states. “It would be important to be able to teach to dogs the skills of good canine citizens in public spaces, which would also promote harmony between dog owners and non-dog owners.”
Siiriäinen and Ikonen remind us that a dog should be given a chance for species-typical behaviour. A dog’s well-being is connected to the owner’s well-being, as happy and healthy dogs bring joy and rhythm to their owners’ daily lives and make people more attentive to their surroundings.
Our little Nessu was terribly shy at first when out and about in the city. Nessu was scared of buses and children, and also of other dogs. Now the dog has gained a lot of courage and may, with permission, approach other dogs. These encounters bring joy to fellow canines and their humans.”
