You can make your own determination but, when reading below, we can just imagine the shaking of pet-parent heads. Of course, dogs are wonderful in so many ways. Need we say more??! Dogs are all of these below and much, much more!
Increase physical activity.Dog parents tend to get more exercise than people who don’t have a dog—and that extra exercise isn’t just from walking their canines. Analysis of data from 5,900 individuals, of whom 2,170 had dogs, found that 60 percent of pet parents who walked their dogs regularly met the minimum government requirements for exercise. In fact, dog walkers—compared with people who didn’t have a dog—got an average of 30 minutes more exercise per week, including activities beyond walking dogs.
Improve cognitive function.One population that has experienced good results with pet therapy is residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. One example is a study from the University of Maryland, where pet therapy was shown to help preserve and enhance the function of residents with cognitive impairment.
Improve children’s emotional development.Among children who have no siblings, having a pet can help them develop greater self-esteem, improved empathy, and more participation in physical and social activities, according to the authors of a recent Canadian study.
Benefit heart health.A scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published in the journal “Circulation,” reported on an evaluation of studies of pet ownership and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The authors concluded that “there is a substantial body of data that suggests that pet ownership is associated with a reduction in CVD risk factors [e.g., heart rate, blood pressure] and increased survival in individuals with established CVD.” Another study found that when researchers compared the effect of a hypertensive drug (lisinopril) and pet ownership on blood pressure, the pets won paws down. Even though lisinopril lowered resting blood pressure in people with and without pets, individuals with a pet showed significantly lower response to mental stress than people who took lisinopril only.
Improve neuromuscular skills.
Horses are a key player in this area of health improvement. Known as hippotherapy, horses are used to improve the coordination, posture, and strength in children and adults who have neuromuscular disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and brain injuries.Improve the lives of people with physical challenges.
Specially trained assistance dogs are often the first ones that come to mind when we talk about how animals can help human health. Technically there are three types of assistance dogs: guide dogs (for visually impaired and blind individuals), hearing dogs (for deaf and hard of hearing), and service dogs (for individuals with other disabilities). These extraordinary canines are paired with individuals who can then enjoy more freedom of movement, safety, and well-being.
There are more reasons why dogs are great for our health and you can find them over on Care 2.
Personally, we believe the mere presence of pup is enough to make an individual healthy. They are our best friends, their faith in us never falters even if we think we are not occasionally the greatest amongst people in the world.
What is more, all they really ask from us is companionship. Sure, a little food and water is a good thing, but a domesticated dog simply wants to love and be loved.
In the end, for us and them, that is the best health benefit of them all!
