It’s called the “Lassie effect.” Dog owners “typically walk more frequently—and for longer—than those without dogs” (Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk). Streets goes on to say “studies suggest that the stronger the bond between dog and owner, the more they walk together.”

I did some research. Sixty-five million households in the U.S. have at least one dog. I don’t know how many of these take regular walks with their canines, but I did find out there are 29,000 dog walking businesses in our country doing an estimated $1.3 billion in yearly revenue.

And I do know that among the regulars I encounter on my morning jaunts, nearly half are walking a dog.  I think I know why they do it.

Thomas Mann was a German novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. In his essay, “A Morning Walk with Bashan,” he described his regular outings with his German short-haired pointer. Following is a short excerpt:

“His short bobbed tail begins to wave furiously. His head lunges forward and to one side, his body stretches and extends itself. He jumps hither and thither, and the next moment, with his nose still glued to the ground, he goes darting off. He has struck a scent.  He is after the rabbit.”

With such an enthusiastic companion, who could miss the joy of that walk?