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Dogs provide us with a variety of benefits, both physically and emotionally. They are great companions, and they can help reduce stress levels. Additionally, owning a dog can improve our physical health by increasing our activity levels and helping us stay socially connected. In fact, research shows that there are many more benefits of having a dog than most of us consider.
Dogs offer us many benefits that we cannot find elsewhere, so it’s no wonder that they are considered man’s best friend! If you’re on the fence about whether or not to get a dog, hopefully, this post will help you make up your mind.
Understanding Dog Ownership Health Benefits
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There are benefits of having a dog around. So they don’t only serve to provide love and loyalty to pet owners. Rather, in a nutshell, our furry friends allow us to be active and experience stress reduction. With their presence and companionship, we can even say that they help with our well-being. So it’s not surprising why people continue to adopt some. After all, it’s clear that there are health benefits to having a dog.
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In this piece, we’re going to explore the specifics of dog ownership health benefits. The points mentioned prove why we call our four-legged friends “Man’s best friend“. Also part of this entry is the pros and cons of having a dog. If you already have one and wish to take in another, use this post to see whether it’s good to have several canines at home. Still, if you can’t decide on whether adopting one is favorable to you, read on to get more information.
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People Want The Benefits Of Having A Dog
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According to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), many houses have pooches now. The percentage and number of households owning canines are 38.4 and over 48 million, in the order given. Likewise, it’s estimated that there are around 76 million of our four-legged friends in the US. A study also says that owning a dog means having a pet that helps with mental and physical health. As claimed by our history with pooches, canine companionship occurred long ago. To be specific, their domestication happened around 30,000 years back. From these points, it’s easy to see that many in the past and at present find it beneficial to have canines around. Hence, pursuing dog ownership health benefits is one of the sensible things that folks do.
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A UK survey result mentions that owners keep dogs to have company. Take note that canines can assume working roles. That is even though people often don’t consider them profitable. At least, they can aid in getting exercise. Plus, they have a positive impact on mental health. Their presence and adoring behaviors provide emotional support too. Thus, despite the need to take care of them, homeowners welcome them and treat them as family. Regardless of the pros and cons of having a dog, many pet parents give homes to pooches.
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Specific Health Benefits Of Having A Dog
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Possible Life Extension
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As found by Laura Williamson of the American Heart Association, it’s healthy to have dogs. Her research led her to studies that showed how fur parents were healthier than those who don’t own pets. That is to say, the findings revealed pet owners have lower blood pressure levels. Their resting heart rates were the same too. They do more recreational walking as well. In that way, pet ownership may lessen cardiovascular disease and death risks.
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To add to that, a study of 1,769 people with Mayo Clinic revealed that pet owners reported being more active. Also, they said that they had better diets and sugar levels. That is regardless of their age, sex, and educational attainment. A post by Harvard Medical School member, Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, shared similar points. It showed that the cardiac death risk of households with pooches and many dwellers was 15% lower. Pet owners residing in solitary houses had 36% fewer chances of heart and coronary deaths too. Thus it’s very clear that there are health benefits to having a dog. With these advantages, as proven by research, it may be possible to have a prolonged life.
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Better Functionality
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Another one of the benefits of having a dog is being able to exercise. After all, canines are active creatures. Even as denning creatures and when in a confined space, they too will find ways to move around. Thus they often demand walks and play sessions with owners. Research even suggests that dog walking makes communities turn healthier. Time spent walking, according to another study, increased to 22 minutes daily. That’s having 2760 steps more. Such may help in reaching 10,000 steps or a 5-mile distance daily and burn calories. Hence, as canines keep people moving and even on their toes, there are health benefits to having a dog.
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Aside from walking, having a four-legged friend that plays with you is another benefit. It’s even one of the crucial dog ownership health benefits since it makes one feel alive. Also, in the process, it relieves stress. Playing fetch or other games with pooches allows folks to walk, run, and do other types of activities. That, in turn, consumes energy and helps folks lose weight. Even things like tug of war permits performing resistance workouts. As a result of exercising with pooches, owners may get a lot of benefits. There’s having improved cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. So having a pooch helps a lot in improving one’s physical health.
You might be interested in: How Pets are Therapeutic for Women Experiencing Menopause (themidlife.com)
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Lower Stress Levels
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A few of the benefits of having a dog relate to having reduced stress levels. Our furry friends are so useful in this way that they even help those with mental health disorders. Canines aid in anxiety reduction since it feels good to pat, stroke, or even only touch them. They make their bodies come in contact with their handlers to provide comfort too. Also, they nudge folks with their paw to keep them mindful of the present. Still, trained pooches interfere with people to stop their unwanted behaviors. On top of those things, they usually guard and defend their owners. Because they promise safety and security, they give people peace of mind. Thus there are many mental health benefits to having a dog.
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One of the pros and cons of having a dog is that a canine is affectionate and comforting only when an owner is good to it. This means that it may take a while before some pooches may treat their masters with the utmost concern. Also, in many instances, canines treat people well when they have nothing to fear or be angry about. After all, they also get a surge of oxytocin after a positive interaction with humans. Humans get elevated levels of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Thus, dogs help to make us feel great, less depressed, and even numb to some undesirable sensations.
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Overcome Loneliness
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Many pet owners, especially during the pandemic, managed to triumph over isolation. After all, although being alone from time to time is a part of adulthood, many may find it to be challenging. Lacking companionship can lead to depression, anxiety, and worse feelings. Thus having companionship is one of the great benefits of having a dog. A study showed that having a pet, especially a dog, can make up for the absence of human partners. So canine ownership can be quite beneficial to single people, widows, and widowers. Even folks who are not single but feel lonely may avoid or beat feelings of desertion with a furry friend.
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Responsible pet owners need to interact with their dogs too. With that in mind, owning a canine means being active. After all, when you don’t interact with your furry friend, your buddy may end up feeling lonely. For it to be less sleepy for the most part and respond to your calls, you must do activities with it. Still, this avoids letting pooches turn destructive. Hence, when you and your buddy are busy, you two will feel less isolated.
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Pros And Cons Of Having A Dog
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Pet ownership comes with its advantages and disadvantages. The benefits of having a dog involve getting unconditional love and companionship. With your four-legged friend, you always have an animal by your side and you never feel alone. A canine snuggles and goes with you, while keeping watch over you. This removes or at least reduces stress, sadness, and worries. Usually, pooches alert homeowners and chase intruders too. But our four-legged friends equate to more expenses. After all, they need things like food, shelter, medicine, grooming items, toys, and more. Likewise, they often need care when their owners are away which can be costly. So, with the things outlined, owners need to be responsible for the pros and cons of having a dog.
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Our furry friends can help us with our physical fitness and mental health. Yet pet parents have certain responsibilities that come with canine ownership. Dogs can get annoying sometimes and have instincts that are hard to manage. For instance, they may demand to play, keep barking and biting, and chase after things. Thus all domesticated pooches need to undergo training. These often need spending time and a bit of money. In this way, even though there are health benefits to having a dog, owning one has its trials. Yet, according to science, the experience of taking care of a pooch is worth it.
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In Closing
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The benefits of having a dog are many and it’s why folks don’t hesitate to adopt one. Well-documented studies prove that they are good for the heart and decrease stress. Plus, it’s easy to see that pooches provide entertainment and companionship too. Of course, there are more good things to have with the presence of a furry friend. Usually, the advantages are due to the exercise and mental health support involved. So it makes sense why many people adopted and continue to give homes to our four-legged pals.
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Do you have a pet dog at home? What was your experience as an owner? Please your experiences and thoughts about this article below. Thanks for reading!
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