It may seem like a silly statement, but many people are dog owners but are we sure about the benefits of dog ownership and how much they can enhance our life’s. So, we are looking deeper to unlock and share some of these benefits with you.

You don’t have to look far to see the difference some dogs can make to people’s life’s, with guide dogs and service dogs perform amazing tasks every day for their owners.

But for many of us we forget that all dogs are in their own way our service dog, our relationship with the dog (canis lupus familiaris) is the largest interspecies relationship the World has ever seen. We have an overwhelming need to have dogs in our life’s.

Sharing your life with dog in the correct way could be one of the most rewarding and best things you could ever do not just for you but the whole family. This experience could have life-enhancing benefits.

Studies have shown that in humans walking has many benefits with simple a 30-minute walk reducing your blood pressure, increasing energy and improving your sense of well-being. However, many of us are not as active as we should be to keep healthy. Extensive UK studies showed that dog owners compared with people without dogs have increased activity and exercise levels, leading to fewer minor health problems.

A study found a link between pet ownership and reduced risk of coronary artery disease, while other studies showed that ownership had lowered cholesterol with the effect more likely to increase survival rate in people suffering heart attacks. Having a dog could save your life one day as more and more dogs training now to perform medical detection for illness like Cancer backed up by scientific studies.

We see a lot of people with dog allergies, people that are unable to be anywhere near a dog but growing up in a dog household can make children less likely to develop allergies as they grow into adulthood. Studies have proven due to a dog’s bacteria diversity children brought up with dogs will have a better immunity to common allergies and less likely to develop issues like asthma.

We live in a very stressful fast pace society, so I challenge you to find anyone that hasn’t felt stressed or anxious at some point. We are seeing a massive increase in Animal based therapy such as Pets as Therapy (PAT) being used to decrease agitated behaviours in humans in care homes as the rhythmic stroking of a dog can reduce stress and balance the human mind.

As dog owners you less likely to suffer from depression, as taking care of a dog requires routine and makes you to stay active. Just playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of the of the calming hormone oxytocin.

At the end of the day there are endless benefits of owning a dog and I have just covered a few here in this article. But owning a dog or any pet has been proven to encouraged compassion and positive attitudes toward animals and humans.

Perhaps when you think about it if owning a dog or pet promotes a sense of empathy and compassion in both children and adults then as more families are inviting pets of some kind into their life’s then the future may not look as bad as we think.

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Photo by Alicia Jones