The Canine Connection: Unleashing Identity

by Emily Cleghorn

As I lace up my running shoes and put the dog's harnesses on, I am not only preparing for a physical activity and a crucial part of my routine, but I am also embarking on a journey of self-discovery and freedom. Dog walking, a seemingly mundane activity, has for me, become a therapeutic outlet, allowing me to unravel the complexities of my identity. This essay will delve into the power of exercise, connection to nature and canine companionship, exploring how this occupation has shaped my understanding of myself, and my place in my community. Through my chosen lens of identity, I will reflect on how dog walking has influenced my sense of self, exploring the ways that this activity has helped me navigate my own personal growth, decision-making, sense of belonging and purpose. I have chosen identity as a concept as it encompasses the multifaceted aspects of the human experience, allowing me to explore the ways in which this occupation has impacted my own values, beliefs and relationships. By sharing my personal experiences, I aim to illustrate the therapeutic potential of dog walking, an activity that has unexpectedly taught me skills crucial to my career as an occupational therapist.

Childhood:

My love of caring for animals has always been strong, stemming from the responsibility I proudly took for my childhood dog, Monty at the young age of 5 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Me as a child with Monty, my childhood dog (Cleghorn, n.d.)

As a shy, young child, taking responsibility for walking, feeding and caring for Monty instilled in me a sense of purpose and independence, marking the beginning of my identity as a caring individual, as well as working to improve my socioemotional development and coordination (Wenden et al., 2021). The sense of pride I felt in independently caring for Monty translated to other facets of my life, helping me to develop a sense of confidence and self-belief, imperative for my development as a child exploring school and other social settings for the first time. This responsibility allowed me to navigate and manage responsibility, serving as an outlet for independent personal growth in these areas at this time in my life (Charmaraman et al., 2022). This responsibility also allowed me to learn key organisational skills, as well as time management. Unfortunately, Monty’s passing and our subsequent move overseas meant I no longer had a dog I could care for, however, the lessons I learnt and the caretaker identity I began to form were firmly planted within my core values from a young age. This formative experience with dog walking, for me, illustrates the ways in which occupation can shape our sense of self and provide therapeutic foundations for personal development, from an early age.

Adolescence:

As I entered adolescence, moving back to Australia, my desire to participate in this occupation only intensified, as my love of animals and caring for them was left unfulfilled, which I felt to be a gap in my identity as someone who loved animals and caring for them. Despite my parents' reluctance to get a dog of our own, I managed to fill this void through finding an opportunity to walk my neighbours, a busy lawyer and dog breeder’s dogs, again allowing me to foster the sense of independence and responsibility I cherished prior to our move. Through this occupation, I discovered a sense of purpose and belonging within my community, not only getting to know the people I was surrounded by but helping me to establish an identity as the friendly and reliable neighbourhood dog walker. This newfound role filled me with purpose and belonging, and the opportunity to be at one with nature and look after something other than myself was pertinent in clearing my mind during adolescence.

Being someone who struggles with becoming overwhelmed and stressed easily, especially during year 12, I found that dog walking allowed me to focus on the dog, and on my surroundings, allowing me to free my mind from my daily worries, whether that be about school, relationships, or anything that was bothering me, and live in the moment (Westgarth et al., 2017). The therapeutic benefits of dog walking have over the years become evident to me, while not only improving my physical fitness and endurance significantly, but it has also provided me with a sense of calm and relaxation, helping me to manage stress and feel grounded (Westgarth et al., 2022). While I often use dog walking as a time to quiet my mind, conversely, if I have an important decision to be made, or am worried about something, I can use that time to rationalise my thoughts, and come to a choice, as I am able to give the topic my full attention (Brooks et al., 2018). Through dog walking, I found a sense of organisation and peace amidst the chaos of adolescence, which remains a vital part of my identity and therapeutic self-care practice. I feel that in some ways, this experience as a dog walker played a significant role in shaping my career aspirations, as realising the joy and sense of purpose that I get from helping other people, namely the people whose dogs I walk, prompted me to look into a career in which I am able to help people and fulfil the caregiver role, hence landing on occupational therapy.

Present Day:

As I grew into adulthood and continued to navigate its new and difficult challenges, dog walking continued to play a vital role in shaping my identity and keeping me grounded. Balancing university, work and social obligations left me with limited time to spend with my parents, however our shared love for dog walking provided an opportunity to reconnect and catch up. In a brief interview, I explored this idea with my mother, Leesa Stanley (pictured to the right), who stated “After working a busy day I find it really valuable for me as it improves my sleep and general health … [dog walking] gives me time to nurture my relationship with my daughter while we walk” (L. Stanley, personal communication, May 24, C.E.).

Figure 2: L. Stanley on a walk with me, looking happy. (Cleghorn, 23 Sept 2021)

This concurs with my personal thoughts about the social benefits of dog walking. Dog walking with my friends and family has become one of my favourite activities, as I am able to not only be a part of the dog’s true canine experience, but choose my experience based on what I as an individual need that day. I am able to enjoy a peaceful walk alone with my thoughts and a friendly canine companion or share the experience with a loved one and connect.

The idea of connection through occupation was also explored in the film “23 Walks”, which helped me to further understand the therapeutic and social repercussions of dog walking (Morrison, 2020). Being trusted to care for a valued member of a neighbour's family and being able to take a weight off of their shoulders whether they have busy lives, or are elderly or sick, provides me with great joy, and helps me to feel safe within my local community. Getting to know my neighbours has improved my sense of belonging within my community and has facilitated new friendships and business opportunities. This has helped me feel secure in my identity as a caring person, and allows me to grow socially, putting myself in unfamiliar situations, which as someone who was once quite shy, has helped me come out of my shell greatly.

Figure 3: A dog which I was sitting, looking happy. (Cleghorn, 2 Jan 2024)

My caregiver identity was further solidified as I took on the role of dog sitting as well as dog walking, and this showed me how while it may be only an hour of my day to walk them, it is the highlight of their day, and though even though they are leashed, going on a walk is their freedom. Dog sitting has given me an extended sense of responsibility which has helped grow my confidence and organisation skills, allowing me to further explore and develop my new identity as an adult, independently of my home. Dog walking has taught me many life skills, such as patience, effective communication with owners, respect for the client, attention to detail and body language, and adaptability, learning to navigate different owners’ and dogs' needs and personalities. While occupational therapy is a far stretch from dog walking, the skills I have learnt are some which will enhance my practice.

Therapeutic Potential:

Dog walking is an occupation suitable for all ages, and can be tailored to a range of abilities, offering different therapeutic benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved mental health, increased physical activity. enhanced social connections, improved sleep, and increased mindfulness, as well as the benefits of canine companionship (Westgarth et al., 2022). One of many things I will take from my experience with dog walking into my practice, is that if there is a will, there is a way. While for the past few years of my life, I have not been able to have a dog of my own to walk, I have managed to find a way to participate in this occupation which brings me great joy and solace when needed, with the added benefit of caring for an animal and helping those around me. While not always easily applicable, this has aided my belief that if you have the motivation to participate in an activity, no matter the barriers, there is always a way in which it can be achieved, whether in another capacity, compensatory, or remedially.

I will continue to utilise the skills I have learnt through dog walking in my personal life moving forwards, as they allow me to be a more organised, patient, and caring person. Although I have had this occupation as a small neighbourhood side hustle, it is something I am sure I will continue to participate in for the rest of my time, hopefully one day with a dog of my own.

Conclusion:

My experience with dog walking has illuminated the therapeutic potential of occupation to me. In a way, I can apply the principles of occupational therapy to the canine species, something I had never before considered. When the dogs don their harness and leash with me, they begin a journey of not only physical activity, but exploration, adventure and freedom, aspects encompassing the true nature of a dog. After much consideration, I’ve landed on the idea that dog walking is my leash, keeping me grounded to my surroundings, yet giving me the freedom, control and time that I need to explore and develop my identity. While this metaphor may not directly extend to my clients, the therapeutic potential I have discovered allows me to encourage them to find something they love, that keeps them grounded yet offers them the freedom which dog walking both offers me, and my canine companion. I have chosen the image (see figure 4), as it encompasses the joy both the dog and I feel as we embark on a walk. While we may be taking the walk for different therapeutic reasons, we both feel the same freedom and joy, enjoying the physical and social aspects of our experience together.

Figure 4: A harnessed dog looking extremely excited for its walk. (Cleghorn, 9 March 2024)

Furthermore, in an abstract way, the idea of this leash can be applied to my practice in therapy. Whilst walking a dog, I either walk them on a tighter lead, with more freedom, or a shorter lead, with more support, depending on their needs. Obviously I would never compare animals to clients, however this metaphor speaks to the degrees of freedom, of support and of guidance I can provide for clients, based on their need for independence, strength and freedom of movement. To conclude, if you enjoy an activity, and find joy in it, do not let barriers deter you from unleashing your potential, and working towards finding your identity.

References:

Brooks, H. L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K., Bee, P., Walker, L., Grant, L., & Rogers, A. (2018). The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2

Butler, M. (2011). Being, doing and belonging after brain injury: an ethnographic exploration of the capabilities approach. Sites: A Journal of Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 8(2), 57–76.

Charmaraman, L., Kiel, E., Richer, A. M., Gramajo, A., & Mueller, M. K. (2022). Associations between Pet Care Responsibility, Companion Animal Interactions, and Family Relationships during COVID-19. Animals (Basel), 12(23), 3274-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233274

Morrison, P. 2020. 23 Walks. Met Film Production.

Rhodes, R. E., & Lim, C. (2016). Understanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey. BMC Public Health, 16, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3814-2

Stanley, L. (2 C.E., May 24). Dog Walking and Identity (E. Cleghorn, Interviewer) [Personal communication].

Wenden, E. J., Lester, L., Zubrick, S. R., Ng, M., & Christian, H. E. (2021). The relationship between dog ownership, dog play, family dog walking, and pre-schooler social-emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE observational study. Pediatric Research, 89(4), 1013–1019. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-1007-2

Westgarth, C., Christley, R. M., & Christian, H. E. (2022). A cross-sectional study of factors associated with regular dog walking and intention to walk the dog. BMC Public Health, 22, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12902-w

Westgarth, C., Christley, R. M., Marvin, G., & Perkins, E. (2017). I Walk My Dog Because It Makes Me Happy: A Qualitative Study to Understand Why Dogs Motivate Walking and Improved Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 936-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080936

Whitman, W. (1867). O me! O life! Leaves of Grass.

Bio
Emily wrote this essay as a third year undergraduate student of occupational therapy at UniSA