Beyond security purposes, you might be contemplating what other benefits are there to keeping a dog. If that’s you, you should know that dogs aren’t just protective and playful goofballs. They can boost your health too.
And surprisingly, several studies have claimed that owning a dog can improve your lifespan. While that is somewhat the end goal, this article contains the more specific health benefits of keeping a dog. Check them out below!
Dogs Reduce Allergy In Children
The chances are that you’ve read how pets generally increase the risk of asthma (and other infections) for kids. But that is not true! In contrast, keeping a pet, especially a dog, keeps all sorts of allergies away from your child – and even you. How?
Dogs improve the immune system of children – and that is scientifically proven. From a 2004 study from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, research showed that babies who lived with a dog growing up are less likely (33%) to have allergies compared to those who didn’t. In the long run, the excellent immune system, assisted by dogs, of your children will help them combat all other allergens as they grow.
Dogs Improve Heart Conditions
Across all age groups, keeping a dog helps people have more beautiful moments and memories. And in the process, their hearts will remain in perfect condition. How so?
For a start, a dog owner wouldn’t have trouble with blood pressure. Or why would there be any high blood pressure when the loyal furry pet is always around to spice up the atmosphere?
Furthermore, a dog’s companionship by itself is proven to reduce stress. With a pet dog, issues like loneliness or self-wallowing will be reduced. More importantly, you will have a constant supply of the “feel-good hormone” – that’s what you get after each round of play with your dog.
Overall, keeping the furry pet keeps your heart in shape. When that happens, you will suffer almost no heart failure or attacks due to blood pressure or cholesterol.
Note: if at all you already suffer severe ailment, dogs can reduce the pain. There are even special dogs for that duty at the dentist and psychologist’s office – you hug them to relieve your body of pain and tension.
Dogs Improve Your Sleep
Many people are having sleep problems because there is soo many things in the news about break-ins and robberies. When you sleep and you know that your dog is sleeping in his dog bed next to you or anywhere else in the house you can feel more secure and this will improve the overall quality of your sleep and thus your health.
Dogs Can Assist Your Weight Loss Programs
Frankly, keeping to your diet routine alone can be daunting. That is even if you’d survive the first week. Oh, what about the exercise part? If you can’t keep to a meal plan, how could you possibly maintain your exercise routine?
Well, a dog can help! That probably seemed funny, but seriously, a dog can motivate you to keep to your weight loss programs. For example, you can draw energy from the vitality of your dog and finally go on that walk you’ve been postponing. And the best part: you wouldn’t even feel like you were exercising – dogs have a way of turning even the most difficult drills into play.
But, how about the dieting part?
Your dog can be your dieting partner too. While it might not necessarily eat the peas and brown rice, it can always bring the food for you. You’d both make a pretty good team!
Summarily, keeping a dog boosts the totality of your person. Everything about you will improve, including your health, mental, physical, and social life. However, ensure you find out the behavior history of your preferred dog first. Also, check that the dog is perfectly healthy before ushering it into your home.
Charles Withrow
Charles Withrow is a pet lover and spent most of his free time at the local animal shelter and working for the human society. Through this work, he knows how important it is to have the right products for your pets. He shares his experience here on the Pet Bed Finder website.
You can read all about Charles Withrow here.
