Imagine taking your dog for a walk, getting some exercise and fresh air, and coming home to a pooped pup and a good mood. That is the dream, right? The reality is that walking the dog can be a super stressful experience for many owners who have perhaps just adopted a dog or never got around to training them to have good leash skills.

You may have seen the quote: “The best therapist has fur and four legs” floating around the interwebs by way of inspirational memes, but is there any truth to this saying? According to studies performed by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), our pets can actually benefit our mental health in a variety of ways.

If you’re a dog owner, then you know most dogs need to be walked at least once each day, although very active breeds and more hyper dogs (cough, cough - Huskies) benefit from more frequent walks. While a dog walker may be as close as an app click away, you'll be missing out on the many benefits of enjoying this activity yourself. If you are one of the millions having trouble sticking to an exercise program, help could be as close as your best buddy at the end of the leash.