Here's a fun space with fun dog park equipmen

This Sunday, Feb. 22, is National Walking the Dog Day and to maximize the benefits for Max and Fido, owners are going to be on the lookout for the right park with the right amount of dog park equipment.

And park managers would be smart to offer it.

After all, there are about 80 million canines in the US. It is estimated that from 37%-47% of all households have a pet dog. That means nearly half of local residents have a dog at home that is just itching to get out of the house and play on that day. According to the National Recreation and Parks Association

Dogs enjoy a day with dog park equipment in a designated space

Adding dog park equipment to a park could make the local park manager a hero to dog owners for one simple reason.

Dogs were made to move. They want to exercise. They were originally bred to work - hunt, herd and protect. They were not made to sit on the couch all day.

Creating an off-leash dog park is one thing. But it's only a first step. Just like a child needs a playground and adults need a gym, dogs need something to do too.

And if they don't get some sort of exercise, just like people, they can revert to practicing some pretty bad habits.

For example, according the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are several benefits to keeping