7 Reasons Dogs Are Great For Your Health

     My Hooman came across this article touting the top reasons that us Puppers are great for their health and well after reading it she couldn't agree more! I have added so much to my Mommas life and each of these reasons are so very true! One thing is for sure we have met some amazing peeps at the park and if it wasn't for me and the fact that we go out and play all the time she would not have the great friendships and relationships she has now… Yep I did that! :) 

1)  Mood 

Playing with your dog is great exercise, and can actually increase your natural dopamine levels. Dopamine is an important mood regulating neurotransmitter, and is associated with pleasure and feeling relaxed. If you’ve had a particularly bad day at work, or if you’re worried about things in your personal life, then taking an hour out to play with your dog will leave you feeling much more relaxed!

Whenever you’re feeling more relaxed, you can bet that your dog will be too. Dogs experience dopamine in the same way as us, and so spending time with each other can be mutually beneficial.

2) Health

Dogs can be used to help the sick in a number of different ways. Owning a dog has been associated with lower blood pressure, and less cardiovascular events. These health benefits are in part due to the fact that you’re guaranteed regular exercise with a dog, as it needs to go on walks and to play outside.

Dogs are also great companions to ill children, and have been used in this way for a while in modern medicine. Dogs can boost mood and improve health outcomes, all by just being themselves and playing as normal. Most dogs can recognise when a person is ill or eve under the weather, and so will be more gentle, ensuring you don’t end up feeling worse!

3) Exercise 

Having a dog ensures that you get out of the house at least twice a day (unless you want to tread carefully in the garden!). Dog owners generally walk around an hour more a day, than those without a dog. If you’re walking a dog, it’s likely that you’re being more active than just walking around town, as most dogs insist on some level of play.

Even if you just play fetch for 15 minutes in the middle of a dog walk, you’re using muscles that you wouldn’t be in day-to-day life. This is great for your health as you utilise underused joints, and help to prevent inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

4) Social Life 

Anyone that has walked a dog will know that it’s impossible to avoid people saying a pleasant ‘hello’. This is one of the great benefits of dog walking, as you will get to meet people that you’d otherwise never have a reason to talk to. People from all walks of life have dogs, and at the local dog park you’ll see people in their teens asking people in their 50s what breed of dog they’re walking.

It’s been reported that dog owners are 40% better at making friend than those without a dog. Having a dog makes you get out the house, from walks, to pet shops or even the vet. There is a slight downside to this – you’ll have to get used to speaking to people in the early hours of Sunday mornings, when you’d much rather be wrapped in a duvet!

5) Stress Relief

Dogs can sense when their owners are stressed, and can help to relieve that stress by just being there. One study found that when couples were allowed to see their dog before completing a stressful task, they achieved better scores than without seeing the dog. Dogs help people to relax, and this is the reason why they’re such good stress relievers. Whether it’s getting outside and clearing your head on a dog walk, or just cuddling your dog on the sofa, it’s undoubtable that having a dog will lower the amount of stress in your life!

6) Stronger Immune System 

Children that grow up in a house with a dog generally experience lower rates of asthma, eczema, and other inflammatory conditions. This is thought to be because dogs can be quite dirty – they play in the mud, lick themselves, and don’t shower every morning – and so being exposed to them helps to strengthen a child’s immune system. If your grandmother ever told you that you have to ‘eat a speck of dirt before you die’, she wasn’t wrong, and having a dog is a great way to expose your immune system to a range of beneficial environmental factors.

7) Become a Better Person 

Spending time with a dog makes you a better person. It’s your responsibility to care for them, ensure they’re played with, and to make sure they’re always happy. It’s this responsibility that carries over to other aspects of your life, and will help you to become more organised, more efficient, and generally less stressed by day-to-day life. It’s difficult to be a selfish person when you have a dog, and your friends will recognise this (especially when you have to leave a party early to let the dog out!).

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