Millions of Walks, Billions of Steps
Walking a dog may be a routine part of daily life, but new tracking data suggests some breeds are significantly more active than others. Fi, a GPS-enabled smart collar company, analyzed activity from U.S. subscribers over the past 90 days and found dogs logged more than 17 million walks and over 334 billion steps.
The dataset, expanded through the release of the Fi Mini collar, included only breeds with at least 500 active dogs to ensure reliable averages. According to the findings, German shorthaired pointers led all breeds with an average of 20,808 daily steps.
Sporting Breeds Dominate the Rankings
Close behind were Brittany spaniels at 19,848 steps per day and vizslas at 19,176. These high-ranking breeds share sporting and hunting origins, which helps explain their elevated exercise needs.
Rounding out the top 10 most active breeds were miniature schnauzers, English springer spaniels, Belgian Malinois, Yorkshire terriers, toy poodles, cavapoos and English setters. These breeds averaged between 17,500 and 18,600 daily steps.
Across the top 10, the average daily count reached approximately 18,709 steps, with a 3,283-step gap separating English setters, the lowest at 17,525 steps, from German shorthaired pointers at the top.
Beyond Competition: Understanding Canine Health
Fi CEO and co-founder Jonathan Bensamoun said the purpose of the data is not to create competition among breeds, but to help owners better understand their pets’ needs.
“Dogs can’t tell us how they feel, so we build the technology to tell us for them,” Bensamoun said. He noted that activity patterns often reflect owners’ routines, suggesting that canine movement mirrors household schedules and lifestyles.
The data can offer benchmarks for what is typical for a specific breed, allowing owners to adjust activity levels accordingly and strengthen the human-animal bond.
When Dogs Are Most Active
The company also analyzed national walking patterns. Saturdays accounted for the highest share of activity at 14.81 percent of all recorded walks, while Thursdays were the slowest at 13.73 percent.
Late afternoons proved to be the most popular walking period, with the 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. window representing 9.21 percent of daily walks. A second peak occurred between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., while mornings saw increased activity between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
The patterns suggest that dogs’ routines closely align with work schedules and weekend habits. Experts note that while timing alone may not drastically affect overall activity, maintaining consistent walk schedules can support a dog’s sense of security and well-being.
