If I am ever having a rough day, my dogs will no-doubt lift my spirits. It has been established through research that there are tremendous mental and physical benefits to pet ownership.

I will start with the obvious: exercise. As an owner you owe it to your pets to give them the exercise they need. Dogs in particular require walks. Bauman, et al. (2008) conducted a study between adults who walked and those who walked their dogs. The results showed that 53% of those walking their dogs met the national requirement for minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, in comparison to the 33% of those who did not have dogs. Being that dog-owners walk more often than those who do not have dogs, it is said that this decreases the chance of high blood pressure.

Studies have shown that children that grow up with pets have better immunities than children that do not. These children are also less likely to develop common allergies, this study suggested that children who were exposed to two or more cats or dogs as babies are less than half as likely to get allergies and also at a lower risk of getting asthma. (Danielle Hark)

Pets also have been suggested to have mental benefits as well. Interacting with pets is shown to trigger neurotransmitters in the brain, stimulating serotonin and dopamine levels which are associated with happiness. Dog owners are reported to be less likely to suffer from depression. A study observing dog owners and others without pets came up with results that established higher self esteem levels, happier, and less stressed people were dog-owners.

Another dog-related benefit I have heard is that they have the ability to detect cancer. There have been numerous reports of dogs sniffing or licking lumps on their owners bodies which turned out to be cancerous. Some dogs have even been trained to detect cancer. It is commonly acknowledged that dogs have a very strong sense of smell. These cancer-detecting dogs can smell much like those trained dogs that can detect bombs and narcotics. The dogs trained in cancer detection can pick up signs of cancer as early as stages 0-2, which are the initial stages of the disease.

Companionship is all I need, but it certainly doesn’t hurt knowing that furry friends provide a benefit to my health.

(my best friend Woodrow)

Sources:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201311/dogs-are-good-your-health

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-hark/pet-ownership-health_b_3187960.html

http://fyiliving.com/mental-health/depression/depression-licked-away-dog-owners-are-happier/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51153/10-benefits-being-dog-owner