Those of us with dogs know that they improve our lives in numerous ways, but that connection goes beyond just unconditional love. Our dogs also help keep us mentally and physically fit. From keeping us active to increasing cognition, here’s 10 health benefits of having a dog.
Having A Dog Keeps Us Psychically Active
This might seem obvious to many of us already – especially those of us with high energy dogs, but studies have shown that dogs really do motivate their owners to exercise. Dog owners spend close to 300 minutes each week walking with their dogs, about 200 more minutes of walking than people without dogs.
In one study, 45% of owners reported that their dog ‘very often (3+ per week)’ ‘encourages them to walk’ in the past month, and 66% of owners report that ‘Having my dog(s) makes me walk more’.
Tip: Looking for some extra motivation to exercise with your dog? Here’s 5 simple ways to keep yourself motivated for a dog walk.
Dogs Promote Social Interaction
Research has shown that dogs can help us create human friendships and social support, both of which are good for our overall long-term health and well being.
Researchers from University of Western Australia, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition surveyed 2,700 people. Being a pet owner was the third most common way that survey respondents said they met people in their neighborhoods.
In another poll nearly half of respondents said they made new friends while out walking their dogs. So keep that in mind if you’re feeling a bit unmotivated — taking your dog out each day is not only great for your dog, it also helps keep you connected to your community.
Dogs Relieve Stress & Anxiety
Research has shown that just petting a dog lowers the stress hormone cortisol, and that social interaction between people and their dogs increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin aka the love hormone. (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies).
Research has also shown that 84% of patients paired with a post-traumatic stress service dog report a significant reduction in symptoms, with 40% being able to decrease medications.
“Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving,” says Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “Their attention is focused on the person all the time.”
Pet Owners Have Lower Cholesterol Levels
Pet ownership, especially having a dog, is associated with lower cholesterol levels and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Since dog owners are less sedentary, research suggests they also have lower blood pressure, plasma cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Several studied have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure than non dog owners, likely because their pets have a calming effect and because dog owners tend to get more exercise.
Dogs Add Structure & Routine
Having a dog gives us structure and routine, which in turn gives us a sense of purpose. The responsibility of pet ownership keeps us structured, which can help keep us out of a rut when we’re feeling a bit down.
Something as simple as going for your daily dog walk can help give us a sense of accomplishment, as well as physical exercise which is good for our overall well being.
Pets Teach Kids Responsibility & Compassion
Pets can teach kids valuable life lessons such as responsibility and compassion. It also encourages our kids to be more physically active, especially when it comes to dogs who require exercise such as the daily dog walk and play.
A recent review of research on therapy dog reading programs indicates that having children read to a dog has a number of beneficial effects including improved reading performance.
Dogs Improve Hearth Heatlh
Owning a dog has been linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors. Several studies have found dog ownership can be linked to increased physical activity, favorable lipid profiles, lower systemic blood pressure, improved autonomic tone, diminished sympathetic responses to stress, and improved survival after an acute coronary syndrome.
Another study found that dog owners who had previous cardiac events had a 65% reduced risk of death compared to non-dog owners with previous cardiac events.
Dogs May Help Prevent Diabetes in Children
A 2014 Finnish study found that contact with dogs during infancy can have an impact on reducing the onset of type 1 diabetes.
3000 children participated in the study, all of which had a high hereditary risk of developing diabetes. Many animals were used in the study, from cats to horses, but only the children who had contact with dogs before they were 1 year old were found to have a lower risk of developing the disease.
“We can show from previous studies that exposure to dogs prevents airway inflammations,” says research professor Suvi Virtanen of THL. “The evidence we have now gained points to a significant protective effect in relation to type 1 diabetes, too. The results are unique on a worldwide scale, and additional research evidence is still needed to support our findings.”
Pet Ownership Increases Brain Health
A 2022 study performed brain imaging and cognitive testing on 95 people between the ages of 20 and 74 with and without pets.
They found that pet owners could focus their attention better, remember stories more accurately, and had a higher processing speed compared with non-pet owners. Dogs appeared to have a particularly positive effect. The researchers suggested that owning a pet could reduce cognitive age by 15 years.
Dogs Improve Health For Older Adults
When it comes to having a dog there’s multiple health benefits for older adults. In addition to the health benefits mentioned above, dogs can help improve cognitive function and decrease feelings of loneliness.
A study published in 2023 found that dog owners had a lower risk of dementia compared to non-dog owners. The study looked at data from more than 11,000 older adults over a 4 year period and adjusted for background factors. Those who regularly walked their dogs and were not experiencing social isolation had a significantly lower risk of dementia.
Another study looking at the impact of pet ownership in Alzheimer’s patients found that pet owners had significantly better daily activity function and slower disease progression compared to non-pet owners.
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