The 10 Health Benefits Of Dogs (And One Health Risk)

1. Improve heart health

Dogs dont just fill your heart; they actually make it stronger. Studies show that having a canine companion is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and decreased triglyceride levels, which contribute to better overall cardiovascular health and fewer heart attacks. Whats more, dog owners who do have heart attacks have better survival rates following the events.

2. Keep you fit and active

Health experts recommend that adults get about 2 hours and 30 minutes worth of moderate exercise per week. Dog owners are way more likely to hit that goal. People love to be outside to walk their dog, and be with their dog, says Kay Joubert, Director Companion Animal Services at PAWS , a Washington-based animal advocacy organization. It helps them be more active.

In turn, that activity helps us remain mobile into our 70s and 80s. Earlier this year, a study in the journal Gerontologist found that older adults who walked dogs experienced lower body mass index, fewer activities of daily living limitations, fewer doctor visits, and more frequent moderate and vigorous exercise.

As a bonus

3. Help you lose weight

Want to drop a few pounds? Grab Fido and get hoofing. Research has repeatedly found that daily dog walks help you lose weight, since they force you to into moderate physical activity for 10, 20, and even 30 minutes at a time. In fact, in 2010, one small study discovered public housing residents who walked loaner dogs five times a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds over the course of a year. The best part: Participants considered it a responsibility to the dog, rather than exercise. (They need us to walk them.)

4. Improve your social life

As we age, it becomes harder to get out and meet people. Not so for dog owners. Researchers have found that about 40 percent make friends more easily, possibly because the vast majority4 in 5, according to one British studyspeak with other dog owners during walks. Dog owners in particular tend to be a little more extroverted, or outgoing says Joubert. When you start to engage them about their companion animal, people tend to open up and really blossom. They want to share stories about their favorite friend.

5. Reduce stress

Theres a reason therapy dogs are so effective: Spending just a few minutes with a pet can lower anxiety and blood pressure, and increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, two neurochemicals that play big roles in calm and wellbeing. People performing stressful tasks do better when theres a dog around, too, and studies show dogs ease tension both at the office and between married couples.

6. Add meaning and purpose

As we grow olderespecially after we retireit can be difficult to find structure and meaning day in and day out. Dogs take care of that. They force people to continue to do things, says Kristi Littrell, Adoption Manager at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. So, even if youre not feeling well emotionally or physically, the dog doesnt care. I mean, they care, but they still want you to feed them and take them for a walk.

Dogs help prevent loneliness and isolation, as well, which is key in staving off cognitive decline and disease. It helps us to not just focus on our needs, says Joubert. It gives us a reason to really get up in the morning. I need to get up and take care of my friend here.

7. Stave off depression

Its widely believed that dog owners are less prone to depression than the dog-less, largely because they seem to help in so many other areas of health and wellbeing. The truth is somewhat more complicated. Though theres evidence that certain dog ownersincluding isolated elderly women and HIV-positive men suffer less from depression than those without pets, theres also proof that dogs dont do much for other demographics.
That said, therapy dogsanimals that do not stay in your homehave been shown to be effective in easing depression for a variety of people, old and young, sick and healthy.

8. Prevent grandkids allergies

Back in the olden days (the 90s), experts believed having a dog in your home contributed to childrens allergies. Fortunately, recent research shows just the opposite is true: Dogs and cats actually lower a childs chance of becoming allergic to petsup to 33 percent, according to a 2004 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. As a side bonus, young uns might even develop stronger immune systems.

9. Reduce doctor visits

If youre over 65 and own a pet, odds are you seek medical help about 30 percent less often than people who dont have a pet. To wit: A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology established that animal-owning seniors on Medicare reported fewer doctor contacts over the 1-year period than respondents who did not own pets. And while cats, birds, and other animals were helpful, Owners of dogs, in particular, were buffered from the impact of stressful life events on physician utilization.

10. Battle disease and injury

Its believed that owning a dog can help detect, treat, and manage a variety of illnesses and debilitations. A few examples:

Some dogs have been trained to sniff out skin, kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer, among others.
Service dogs are known to benefit people with everything from traumatic brain injury to autism to rheumatoid arthritis, increasing mobility and promoting independence.
Alzheimers patients are soothed by dogs, whose companionship also seems to mitigate emotional flare-ups and aggression.

When Dogs Are Not So Great

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), just over 86,000 falls per year are caused by pets 88 percent by dogs. Falls can be cataclysmic health events for people who are older, frequently leading to serious injury (broken hips, etc.) and long hospital stays. If youre looking to adopt, consider mobility issues, and make sure to take steps to reduce the dangers of falls.

Also from Grandparents.com:

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8 Ways My Pets Trump My Grandchildren

10 Best Dogs For Kids