Dogs are regarded as the best friends of a human and this popular belief is undeniably well-grounded. We all know amazing stories about the loyalty and affection of these creatures who are always ready to save us and support even in the most life-threatening situations. Yet, it turned out, that dogs can give us even more great things. Look at some of the reasons approved by numerous scientific researches to have a dog at home and you will definitely get rid of any doubts if you have some right now.
The physical condition of the dog owners is better than the health of the people living without dogs
There are multiple studies proving that having a dog at home and actually taking care of this animal makes the health of a person far better. There are multiple factors causing such a positive effect on the overall physical condition.
The dog owners have to move
Of course, it doesn’t mean that the dog owners move more than people without dogs. These people have to move in the first place. While many people can resign from a walk because of bad weather or any other reason, the people who are taking care of dogs have to go out at least twice per day. As a result, they always have to make this minimum amount of movement.
Even a very small amount of movement is highly important for the health of a cardio-vascular system. As a result, the related research showed that the dog owners have fewer risks to develop cardio-vascular diseases. At the same time, the people who have already come through a heart attack or a brain stroke can decrease the risks of re-occurrence of these states by 31% if taking care of a dog.
Certainly, the physical activity coming with a dog is crucial for the elderly whose lifestyle usually doesn’t include a sufficient amount of movement. Such people have to be active not only outdoors, but also at home. Undeniably, the longer the elderly continue being physically active, the better it is for their health.
Finally, dog walkers also tend to be less prone to obesity which is again the result of their physical activity.
The dog owners have more motivation to spend time outside
Although the quality of the air depends on the area, the chances that the dog walkers will spend some time outdoors breathing fresh air is higher than for the people who do not have to take their dogs out. Beyond a shadow of a doubts, people rarely take their dogs for a walk in the urban area. Since parks and other natural sites are more suitable for spending time with your dog outside, the dog walkers really have an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air which is also great for one’s health.
The dog owners have an immune system more resistant to various pathogens
On the one hand, many people, if not the majority of them, are afraid of catching some bacteria or viruses from dogs. For that reason, touching homeless dogs is not the best idea. On the other hand, a physical contact with your own dog is a great way to boost your immune system.
An immune system is developing while we are contacting with the world around us petting our dogs lets us to increase our immune systems in a gentle but effective and natural way.
Dogs help their owners to reduce physical pain
There was also a quite interesting study which has revealed that a presence of a dog as well as a physical contact with this animal can reduce the physical pain quite efficiently. Taking into consideration the fact that the kind of the pain mentioned in the research was really rather intense since the study was conducted on the group of the people recovering from the joint replacement, such an animal-assisted therapy can be called effective. To be precise, people contacting dogs during this period, took 28% less painkillers.
Psychological benefits of having a dog
The positive psychological effects our dogs are having on us can’t be denied. Their presence in our lives brings in a lot of joy and happiness.
First of all, dog owners hardly feel lonely. That is of course due to the contact with the animal they can enjoy on a daily basis. Several studies have shown that people living with dogs rarely suffer from loneliness or develop depression. Of course, this can be true in the case of other home pets as well, however, everyone knows how much understanding and sympathy dogs can feel for their masters.
Furthermore, having a dog and going for a walk with your pet regularly is a great way to meet other people and make friends which is especially good for adults who generally do not have many possibilities of befriending other people.
In addition to the positive points mentioned above, there is also a scientifically approved fact concerning a contact with dogs. It turned out, that petting a dog even for a short time decreases the level of cortisol which is widely known as a stress hormone. Needless to say, it can be vital for maintaining a mental balance and reducing overall stress.