The Benefits of having a dog For health are to protect against cardiovascular diseases, improve mental health, meet new people, reduce stress, increase happiness, less ill, avoid allergies and others that we will explain later.
Whether it is race or not or big or small, we all have some pet that came into our lives by chance and nowadays is a member of our family. But, did you know that they can produce in humans a multitude of positive effects both physically and mentally?
The Benefits of Living with a Dog
1. It protects you against vascular diseases
Most people who have a dog at home usually take it for a walk 2 to 3 times a day to fulfill their needs or simply to do sports.
This simple gesture not only brings benefits for the dog but also for our health as the owners of these pets have more physical activity compared to people who do not have. As a consequence of the above, the former generally have better health, which is verified in a smaller number of medical consultations.
Therefore, they are a protective factor in cardiovascular diseases that can modify risk factors such as blood pressure, which decreases. There is also a clear decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as in the level of stress due to loneliness and anxiety. Finally, endorphins are also released by caressing these pets (Wood and others 2005.)
2- Produce psychological benefits
Dogs are able to Reduce the feeling of loneliness , Which leads people who have some psychological problem to not want for example, end their life, among other things.
On the other hand, they are able to generate a better integration in the society in which we live, since they help to prevent and reduce the states of depression, stress, bereavement and social isolation. And how do they get it? Well Increasing self-esteem And the sense of responsibility in all those around them (Hart, 2000).
3- It helps you meet new people and interact with other people.
Having a dog too Improve your social skills As it promotes interaction with people you do not know, but who also have one. Simply by having this pet you are forced to take it for a walk and frequent parks and other recreational areas for him.
This will make you meet new people and improve your social skills. On the other hand, it will also allow you to establish bonds of trust in interpersonal relationships.
Neighbors are often asked for favors that revolve around the pet, creating a bond of high confidence, solidarity and gratitude among them so that pets are a catalyst that lead owners and other members to this (Wood et al., 2005) .
3- They are able to calm you in situations of high stress
Although we do not need to rely on any study to know that our beloved puppies have the great ability to calm down, as demonstrated by Dr. Karen Walker of the University of Buffalo in the United States.
This study consisted in subjecting a specific number of people to very stressful situations and Mental stress . Thanks to this fact, he verified that if there was a dog in the room this one was reduced considerably. One more benefit of having this gorgeous pet that you can not miss.
5- They prevent you from getting depressed
Whether they want us with their whole being or the way they look at us or behave, dogs have the ability to keep us from getting depressed. This is confirmed by Dr. Peggy Drexler in his article"Dogs, depression and Real Life,"which ensures that the company of pets as dogs decreases the risk of being diagnosed with Clinical depression .
For this reason, these fantastic animals are used in Animal assisted therapies For its great benefits at the mental level with elderly and with disability.
Increase your happiness
In addition, they also make us happier and There are studies Such as those made in 2009 by Miho Nagasawa of the University of Azabu in Japan that proves it.
This research was based on Oxytocin (Hormone that gives feeling of joy) between people with dogs and their pets to keep the gaze fixed in the eyes of one and the other. The interesting thing about this test is that the only contact that was needed to demonstrate the increase was to look into the animal's eyes.
Even so, we do not need any study to tell us what makes us happier, because simply by seeing their enthusiasm when we walk through the door of their house or their expression accompanied by swift tail movements are enough, right?.
7- It makes you sick less
If yes, our dog is also the reason we get sick less without having to take any medication because it is the best medicine for our well-being. But how does it make us not get so sick?
Its secret is very simple, it is plagued with germs to which we expose ourselves daily and help our immune system to form and to give the necessary tools to face all of them.
This will help us if we enjoy from small of the company of our pet to be stronger and to contract less virus.
8- Combat allergies
Just as they can strengthen our immune system can also prevent us from presenting future allergies according to the study Published in The Journal of Pediatrics, which discusses the relationship between pet ownership and eczema.
So if you want to prevent your child from having any type of allergy having a dog at home may be the solution to this problem since since they were small, they are facing all the germs they present. In this way, they will be unlikely to develop allergy to animal hair or to their dandruff.
9- Make you feel safe
We all know that dogs are an excellent security system for our home, as they defend us with their barking to the possible strangers who can get too close. Therefore, it is a fact that make us feel safe.
Our pets can use their keen sense of hearing to detect anyone who is hanging around our house and thus help us to fall asleep that as a result affects our health in a positive way.
10- Develop empathy
If we grow up with a dog we will be able to be more understanding than others who have not had the opportunity to develop with a friend of these characteristics.
On the other hand, we will also have more self-esteem and better social skills and of course we will be able to develop empathy And all simply by having a dog by our side.
If we have a young child at home these will be among other skills and abilities that will influence your emotional and social development whether or not an excellent relationship of friendship with your canine.
11- Teach us to be responsible
Having a pet is a great way to teach children responsibility. Usually, when they are young they fall in love with these canines and do their best to have them at home, an excellent opportunity to make them fulfill their obligations of care and food.
In this way, the best friend of man can make that little by little we internalize the sense of responsibility simply through his care as the game, feeding, walking and brushing.
12- Give structure and routine to your day to day
Since our dog arrives in our life we have to adjust our schedules to fulfill our obligations as owners of this one. However, it also brings us benefits because creating a routine of eating and regular exercise will not only help our friend but also ourselves.
If we integrate it as our own and keep it in time, we Will help to relax And to clear ourselves after the working day and as all who have dogs will know, it will be impossible to skip these routines since they will always be in charge of reminding you.
13- Make us better people
Of all the animals we can learn and in this case, since we speak of the dog would not be less. All people who have had the opportunity to share their lives with a canine will not only have acquired the capacity for responsibility and commitment that requires their care but also will have learned to have patience, The sense of commitment and dedication and the generosity they need.
They also teach us not to focus on ourselves and to have to educate them as if we were their parents. This transforms in a way that we learn to love nature and all the animals that surround us, so that as a result of this interaction we are able to become better people.
14- Clear the mind
In addition to having the ability to de-stress and calm us also help us evade our problems or those derived from work and whether we want or not, we will be forced to comply with the care activities they need.
So we will have to go out for a walk and play with them. This can be very beneficial for Our well-being Since we will have a more compelling reason to care for ourselves and to be happy.
15- Can detect health problems
Although studies are still being carried out to verify the veracity of whether dogs are able to detect health problems such as cancer, it is already a multitude of real cases that support this idea.
According to some owners their dogs were able to warn them that they were about to have metastases or that they had breast or prostate cancer. Perhaps these canines can smell human cancer, what is clear is that there are already coaches that help them perform that function.
CONCLUSIONS
As we have been able to prove having a dog at home can bring us many benefits not only physically but also psychologically. Each one has a personality and a different temperament that gives us affection, confidence, security and stability in our life in exchange for very little.
Not only can you benefit from your company and positive contributions from adults but also the youngest, so it would be highly recommended that everyone have the opportunity to enjoy the company of a canine.
And you, what other benefits of having a dog do you know?
References
- Wood L, Giles-Corti B, Bulsara M. The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital. Soc Sci Med 2005; 61: 1159-1173.
- Hart LA. Methods, standards, guidelines, and considerations in selecting animals for animal-assisted therapy. In: Fine AH, editor. Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice. Boston: Academic Press.
- Gómez, L.F., Atehortua, C.G., & Padilla, S. C. O. (2007). The influence of pets on human life. Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Pecuarias, 20 (3), 377-386.
- Pappas S. (2013). Dog Bacteria Bring Potentially Beneficial Biodiversity To Owners' Homes, Study Shows. LiveScience.