10 Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

If you ask me, a big part of my day is to get home after being outside the whole day to see my dogs running down the stairs super excited because I’m finally with them. To those who are like me and adore our furry, loving friends, it is amazing news to find out there are health benefits we can get out of owning one, or even more, of these great companions. Below is a list of ten amazing health benefits of owning a dog. Have a look!

10. You are more resistant to allergies.

Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

Although dogs can be awful triggers for people who do have allergies. It turns out that growing up in a house with dogs can help children reduce the chances of developing allergies during the course of their lives. Even if you were just a fetus when your mother lived around dogs it may still apply. So if you are thinking of having a child soon, or you already do, you might want to start considering bringing one pretty little puppy home.

Also read; Health benefits of living with cats.

9. You get sick less.

Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

We know humankind hates bacteria. We have all watched the commercials with every kind of disinfectant for every part of your house, or even for your body. Also, we all know someone who carries a bottle of hand disinfectant everywhere. However, it appears that the more bacteria we are exposed to, the less sicknesses we get. And dogs are full of them! If you keep a dog in your house, it means that more bacteria enters our home, this way, our microbiome learns how to defend to more diverse types of bacteria, which leads to our body being more prepared.

See also; Top 10 Dog Breeds You Can Get as a Pet Companion.

8. You get more exercise.

Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

Dogs demand a lot of care, and part of that is that they need to be walked and played with for a numerous times a day. It means that many dog owners get extra 30 minutes of exercise in their daily routine, and we all know what more exercise means to our body health. So make sure you take your dog out for a walk every day and keep him entertain when you can to gain a little more physical activity. Which leads you to less risk of cardiovascular diseases.

7. More active social life.

Having a dog good for your social life

Polls have shown that people tend to trust more other strangers if they are in the company of a dog than they would trust random persons walking on their own on the street, they also said they’d be more likely to go up and interact with the dog owners. So this proves your dog might get you some new friends very soon.

6. Your dog can help you reduce stress.

Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

You should write a letter to your boss to ask them to let employees bring dogs to the office. If he doesn’t believe that would be useful, show him the study results that show that people who interact with pets during work have lowered their stress levels throughout the day in a significant way. While people who didn’t bring their pets, increased their stress levels over time. Less stress leads to more energy, which equals to more productivity. Now this is a sentence that would make your boss interested.

5. You’ll be happier.

Dog Owners Are Happier People

Dog owners have shown to have a lower probability of suffering from depression than those who don’t own any dogs. Even for those people who do become clinically depressed, having a pet to take care of can help them out of a depressive episode. The love and the energy dogs transmit help people be more active and stay out of bed more often.

See also; Top 10 Dog Breeds to Join Your Family.

4. Better heart health.

Owning a Dog Is Linked to Reduced Heart Risk

Everything about a dog can be proven to better the health of your heart. Just the act of petting a dog has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Besides, a study found people who own a dog get better sleep at night, which is a major factor.

3. Your dog could be a cancer detector.

Your dog could be a cancer detector

I know this might sound a little crazy, but it doesn’t mean it’s not true. It appears that dogs have the ability of smelling cancer in the human body. The world is filled of stories of owners whose dogs kept sniffing or licking a mole or lump on their body so they got it checked out, discovering it was cancerous. It turns out that dogs are so good at this. That’s why some are being trained for this sole purpose.

2. They can teach your kids responsibility.

Surprising Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

Many parents ask themselves if they should buy a pet for their kids without it being too risky for both of them. But the truth is, if you consider your child to be old enough to own one, then it may be time to give them this responsibility. It will not just teach them the practical skills of taking care of an animal, but it will make them empathetic, which is a vital fact in life.

See also; Top 10 Dog Breeds for Kids and Families.

1. They make you feel safe.

Best Guard Dogs for Families

Dogs tend to develop a sense of belonging to a certain place or to their owners, which leads them to let their protective instinct out when a stranger comes by. Studies have shown that potential burglars are usually put off by barking dogs. Having a dog might make you feel safer when you need to leave your house alone.

See also; 10 Best Police Dog Breeds In The World.