Here’s Why You Might Want To Get A Dog

Dogs are well-known to offer us devoted companionship, unconditional love, and constant entertainment. Dog lovers will always tell you that their life became better when they got a dog. But, is being a dog owner beneficial for us or not?

The truth is that spending time with our dogs is very beneficial. In fact, there are several studies that showed us why we should seriously consider getting a dog. Here are some reasons you want to consider.

Feeling Less Alone

A dog will be close to you even when someone else cannot. He offers truly unconditional love, constant cuddles, and emotional support. In fact, a study in Australia showed that dogs help people feel less lonely.

Human-pet interactions do help us a lot to deal with social isolation. And dogs stand out as some of the best friends we can have.

Improved Heart Health

Did you know that if you own a dog you might live longer? Studies done between the years 1950 and 2019 showed that dog owners actually have a lower death risk. They suggest dog owners have a lower overall blood pressure, together with improved stress responses.

The simple fact that you live with a dog will make a difference. Those that had coronary events in their life lived longer. And the bond between dogs and humans actively reduces stress, which is another common cause of developing cardiovascular problems.

Lower Stress Levels

Your dog will do wonders at offering comfort and easing worries. This is especially the case when referring to therapy dogs but basically all dogs will help to alleviate anxiety and stress.

You should know that petting a dog will quickly lower your blood pressure, slow your breathing, relax muscle tension, and slow your breathing. The Washington State University actually did a study that showed ten minutes of petting your dog will have a beneficial impact. This is because cortisol levels will be reduced, which is highly beneficial since cortisol is a big stress hormone.

Dogs Encourage Physical Activity

When you have a dog, you need to walk him. You take him on long treks. This basically means that when you own a dog, you are 4 times more likely to meet your daily activity requirements than when you do not have a dog. In fact, dog owners generally spend close to 300 minutes every single week on dog walking. This is actually 200 more than when you are not a dog owner. This includes having a puppy.

Easier To Deal With Crisis

If you are affected by a serious crisis, dogs will do wonders at helping you psychologically recovered. The College Of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University showed us that military veterans that were affected by PTSD do a lot better with the help of a service dog. This is true both psychologically and physiologically. Fewer PTSD symptoms were experienced by veterans with service dogs. Also, coping skills were improved.

You Will Be More Attractive

Here is a very interesting advantage of having a dog in your life. His presence will make you look more attractive and likeable. This is true both online and offline.

It is interesting to note that studies showed us that men had a higher possibility of getting the phone number of a woman when a dog was present. Also, when you have a dog present in a photograph with you, people will like the image more.

To put things as simple as possible, there is a higher chance both women and men will swipe right if a pup is present in a profile image.

Dogs Make Us Love

Nobody can really deny the fact that dogs are adorable. In fact, they are so irresistible that we can instantly melt and fell in love with them. The facial features of a dog actually possess the infant schema. This is practically a set of social releasers that trigger a caregiver response in us. Basically, those very big and beautiful eyes or those floppy ears are appealing to us. They make us fall in love.

A Dog Will Make You Happier

All you have to do is to look at a dog and you will feel how your spirits are lifted. According to a Japan study in 2009, when you look into the eyes of your pup, your oxytocin levels rise.

There is a reason why oxytocin is known as being the love hormone. Having it inside our system helps so much more than we might think.

Being a dog owner has some serious health benefits. At the same time though, they are mood boosters, natural boosters. As a simple example, those that are affected by AIDS have a much lower possibility of suffering from a bout of depression when they own a dog. A study in 2017 showed us this.

Dogs Manage To Make Us Special

As you walk with a dog, you instantly become much more approachable. Also, a dog being around is a true conversation starter. Just think about the number of times when you talked with people, with other dog owners. Even if you do not own a dog, there is a very good possibility that you will want to talk to someone that does.

Statistics show us that 40% of dog owners make friends much faster than non-dog owners. You can basically meet strangers so much faster. At the same time, if you have an attachment with your pet, you will most likely feel a lot more connected with your community and with human interactions in general.

Dogs Can Help With Social Interactions And Cognitive Functions

If you are a senior, having a dog helps you quite a lot. There was a study that highlighted that the use of pet therapy will improve cognitive function when affected by mental illness and being subjected to long-term care. We also know that there is a significant decrease in senior agitated behavior when affected with dementia. Even social interactions in seniors can be improved.

At the end of the day, our dogs offer unconditional support and love. This is very important when we go through very tough times. The benefits above are more than enough for being a dog owner. While any pet can help, the dog does stand out as being one of the best possible choices.