Health Benefits of Owning Dogs

Everyone knows that dogs are mans (or woman’s) best friends, but while Pixie or Zeus might be your running buddy or Netflix-binge companion, science shows that they might be doing more for you than simply being the only family member guaranteed to be excited that you came home from work. New science has shown that there may be additional advantages to having a pup as a best friend for life. The best news is that these benefits are not breed-specific and applicable to all people lucky enough to have a four-pawed companion residing in their abode. Now let us move onto unpacking the science behind why dogs are advantageous to their owner’s physical health.

Dogs Are Beneficial for Heart Health

While everyone knows that a good cuddle session with your dog can help when you are going through a tough time, it has reported that having a dog can be beneficial for your heart. For those wondering, there is a correlation between owning a dog and having a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease through various mechanisms. Firstly, you can expect to have a lowered blood pressure. It is due to both the fact that dogs aid in reducing stress levels and that dog owners typically are more active because of the exercise that their four-legged friends need to be healthy. There is also early evidence to show that dog owners had lower cholesterol levels and triglycerides in their body than non-pet owners.

Dogs Help Lower Stress

Besides, since dogs help people manage stress through their unconditional love and general behavior habits, people have far lower incidences of stress thereby lowering the amount of excessive heart rate surges to occur and reducing the overall physical impacts of stress on the human body. There are many surprising ways pets help to lower anxiety, including non-judgmental listening and clearing your mind.

Dogs Help You Get Active 

For those people hoping to lead a more active lifestyle, a dog is a great companion for strolls, runs and retreats to the great outdoors. One breed that is especially suited for the fitness-enthusiast is the German Shepherd. They will be more than happy to join you on any run. It may be a 5 am jog or endless fetch in the park. A more active lifestyle is one of the main perks of owning a dog. It has found that people who took dogs for a daily walk rather than going with a friend were more likely to stick to the habit than the friend group. An additional study also found that dog owners got far more exercise per week than people who worked out without one.

Dogs Help Combat Allergy Development And Other Illnesses

For those with young children, having a dog may be one of the many ways you are helping to protect your baby against possible health risks and impediments. It is due to studies that have found that children, exposed to dogs from a young age, are less likely to acquire allergies than those who are animal-free. The conditions they were less likely to contract to include hay fever, eczema, frequent allergies, along with asthma and certain upper respiratory tract illnesses. A further physical benefit to owning dogs is that those who suffer from chronic pain may experience relief from owning a dog.

Dogs Can Help With Chronic Pain

The relief experienced can be attributed to the fact that when people stroke their dogs, the brain releases endorphins. These endorphins are natural painkillers, add this to the fact that dogs also act as a distractor and chronic pain can be reduced only through spending time with a four-legged friend.

Dogs Can Help Monitor Blood Sugar Levels

A final but significant benefit is that dogs have an extremely acute sense of awareness and can be used to monitor changes to diabetic patient’s conditions quickly. When people with diabetes go into a state of extremely low blood sugar, they go into ketoacidosis where they are unable to utilize sugar as a fuel source. It instantly changes the smell of their breath, and dogs can detect this and alert the owner quickly. As a whole, it pays off to have a four-legged friend in your life, whether you have seen the effects of a more active lifestyle or simply notice that cuddles with Poochie seem to make everything seem less terrifying, I’m sure you will agree that dogs truly are man’s best friend.

This guest post was written by Sarah Jones.

Sarah is the owner of Crazy Pet Guy, your go-to source for anything pet related. Learn more about your new, old, and future pet on her blog!