Why You Should Own a Dog
Thinking about getting a dog? You’re not alone. Around 85 million families in the US own a pet—this amounts to 67 percent of American households (APPA). Why have so many people introduced pets such as dogs into their families? Yes, owning a dog can make you happy, but scientific studies shows that dogs can do so much more for you than just that. From improving your overall health, to bringing benefits to the field of therapy, dogs have proven to be more than just your pet.
Walking your dog is part of owning your dog. Exercising everyday can be tasking for someone with a busy schedule, but many dog owners have claimed that daily exercise is anything but a task. Meeting that daily moderate exercise recommendation of 30 minutes has never been easier (Mayo Clinic). Maintaining a more active lifestyle has proven to give even more health benefits: sleeping easier, feeling happier, and thinking clearer. In the long term, this can even help you lose weight!
Fitness is just one part of it. Dogs can also improve your cardiovascular health. This does not mean that there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between dogs and cardiovascular health, but there has definitely been evidence that point towards a decreased chance of heart diseases when owning a dog. These studies have suggested that having a dog does increase your cardiovascular health due to the added exercise, but in addition it is also due to potentially having lower blood pressure, lower triglyceride levels, and lower cholesterol levels (Harvard Medicine). Dogs can de-stress humans and calm them; some studies even show that blood pressures can be lowered more by dogs than medicine.
Dogs can improve your social health by two ways: social support, and being a drive for human-to-human interactions. Dogs are always there for you no matter what; they become that social support you can depend on, and they will always bring to you unconditional love. Added to that is the interactions you have with other dog owners when walking your dog, or bringing your dog to the park. There is a whole human-dog community out there, and being part of it is, in essence, a gift.
Many clinics have started pet therapy. From loneliness, to anxiety, to depression, dogs, alongside other animals, can be the social support for all of this (Oaklander). Dogs do have an impactful position on one’s mental well-being; they comfort you, and the love and acceptance they bring to humans have so much emotional and mental benefits. Even petting a dog once is proven to relax you (UCLA Health). The loyalty a dog has for its owner, as seen in famous dog-human relationships like Hachiko and his owner, can also provide that extra social support. A more detailed, scientific explanation for dogs improving our mental health can be found here. A study has shown that children who interact with dogs have better social skills and cooperation (NIH). Having a dog will also teach children responsibility, commitment, empathy, and love. They are able to build a child’s character, and influence their upbringing in such great, impactful ways.
From making you feel safe, to giving you those daily cuddles, to making you laugh and smile, dogs deserve more than just the label of “man’s best friend.” They become your best friend, your lover, your life-saver, and so much more. They not only help us as individuals, but society as a whole as well through becoming involved in tasks such as sniffing out dangerous chemicals to helping people through animal therapy. Of course, not everything is meant for everyone!
References:
APPA. “Pet Industry Market Size & Ownership Statistics.” APPA, www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp.
Beetz, Andrea, et al. “Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: the Possible Role of Oxytocin.” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Research Foundation, 9 July 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408111/.
Harvard Health Publishing. “Having a Dog Can Help Your Heart - Literally.” Harvard Health, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/having-a-dog-can-help-your-heart--literally.
NIH. “The Power of Pets.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets.
Oaklander, Mandy. “Pet Therapy: Science Proves Owning a Pet Is Good for You.” Time, Time, 6 Apr. 2017, www.time.com/4728315/science-says-pet-good-for-mental-health/.
R. Laskowski M.D., Edward. “How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Apr. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/exercise/faq-20057916.
UCLA Health. “Animal-Assisted Therapy Research.” UCLA Health, UCLA, www.uclahealth.org/pac/animal-assisted-therapy.