Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Unconditional love, devoted company, real joy: life is better with a dog. Spending time with canine friends works wonders for your well-being. Recent research shows that owning a dog is good for physical and mental health.
Dogs can contribute to your health in many ways. Here are some examples:
1. Dogs improve heart health
Studies show that owning a dog helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, all of which contribute to better cardiovascular health and fewer heart attacks. The connection between humans and dogs reduces stress, which is a major cause of cardiovascular problems. Dog owners also need to walk their dogs and often exercise more than those who do not have dogs.
2. Dogs improve mental health
Dog owners have fewer symptoms of depression than people who do not have dogs. Evidence shows that owning a dog helps people stop feeling lonely. Therapy dogs are effective in relieving depression for many types of people: elderly, young, with or without health problems.
3. Dogs detect diseases
Dogs can help detect, treat, and manage many types of diseases. They may even be trained to detect different types of cancer, low blood sugar levels, and epileptic seizures.
4. Dogs prevent allergies
While a dog’s fur can be a trigger for people with allergies, raising children with a dog helps them develop fewer allergies in their lifetime and decreases their chances of becoming allergic to pets.
5. Dogs reduce visits to the doctor
Dog owners seem to get sick less often and less severely than people with cats or other pets. Older people who have dogs have reported fewer visits to the doctor in a year.
6. Dogs help children with ADD and ADHD
Dogs help children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Owning a dog teaches children to maintain a routine and be organized. Playing with the animal can also reduce the feelings of anxiety associated with these disorders.
7. Dogs help with exercise
In general, pets have positive effects on health, but dogs have the added benefit of needing walks and play several times a day. Thus, many dog owners exercise every day, reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease. Older people who have dogs have a lower body mass index, fewer visits to the doctor, and moderate exercise.
8. Dogs help with weight loss
Studies have repeatedly found that daily walking of the dog helps with weight loss, as it involves moderate physical activity for 10, 20, and even 30 minutes at a time.
9. Dogs improve social life
Dog owners tend to be more extroverted and spend more time with people. Walking the dog makes you more approachable and gives people a start to the conversation. Studies have found that about 40% of dog owners make friends more easily because the vast majority talk to other dog owners during walks. Dogs are the perfect way to meet strangers and make new friends.
10. Dogs reduce stress
Spending just a few minutes with a dog can reduce anxiety and blood pressure and increase serotonin and dopamine levels. Ordinary dogs, but also therapy dogs, help relieve stress and anxiety. People who interact with a dog while working have lower levels of stress throughout the day, higher productivity, and job satisfaction.
11. Dogs add a purpose to life
Walking the dog is an excellent opportunity to practice meditation. Dogs also help prevent loneliness and isolation, which is essential in preventing cognitive decline and disease. When you have a dog, you have a responsibility to feed it and play with it, which is an extra reason to wake up in the morning. It also helps you stop thinking about your problems because it needs your attention and love.
12. Dogs make you more attractive
The presence of a dog can make people look nicer and more attractive. In one study, researchers asked people to rate some photos and found that people looked happier and more relaxed in the company of a dog.
13. Dogs make us happier
A study conducted in Japan found that looking into the dog’s eyes increases the level of oxytocin, also known as the ″love hormone″. In addition to the general health benefits of owning a dog, it naturally stimulates well-being. Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression. Even for people with depression, having a pet to take care of can help them get out of a depressive episode. The interaction and love received from a dog can also help people stay positive.
14. Dogs help children to be more empathetic
One study found that attachment to animals leads to well-being for both the child and the pet. Dogs can help children regulate their emotions because they can trigger and respond to behavior related to a child’s attachment.
15. Dogs are great companions for the elderly
Dogs provide companionship to the elderly and can help reduce depression and anxiety. It is found that they establish connections with the elderly who suffer from conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
16. Dogs provide protection
Dogs are very loyal to their owners and will often make great efforts to warn and protect them from any danger. They have territorial qualities, and their instincts are so sharp that they react quickly if someone tries to enter the house or feel that you are in danger.
If you want to find out about the benefits of having a cat, check out our article on this topic: 16 health benefits of having a cat.
[Photo from Unsplash]
