Every dog owner can testify that their beloved pet has managed to cheer them up when they are feeling down, and at times, even provide positive impacts on their overall health.
Since dogs are so important for our health, we want to make sure to keep them healthy as well.
Click here for tips, guides, and expert advice on what to feed your dog, how to train him, and other helpful information for dog owners.
Below, we will explore how having a dog can benefit our health as well.
Fitness Boost
Every dog owner knows that they need to bring their pet dog on walks. It is recommended for your dogs to get their walks at least twice a day.
So, your walks with them will also contribute to your fitness level.
Dog owners are found to walk about 300 minutes a week. In comparison, their counterparts only walk for 168 minutes – that is almost double the walking duration.
Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
Research has shown that having a pet can decrease your cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, all of which contribute to heart diseases.
This decrease is linked to the increased physical activities when you walk your pet dog. Still, there are so many other benefits as well.
However, that does not mean that you can leave the health factor to your pet dogs altogether – remember to still take care of your dietary intake and exercises too.
Boost Happiness
When you play with your pup, you are sure to increase your joy and happiness – that is something that most pet owners would already know.
However, this increased joy is also a benefit that is extremely helpful for veterans suffering from PTSD.
This is why many veterans are suggested to keep a pet around to help them deal with any PTSD symptoms.
With a pet dog, you will be driven to focus on their love and affection instead of on your negative thoughts.
Reduce Stress
Did you know that you are reducing your stress hormone levels when playing with your dog?
At the same time, you will also release oxytocin, commonly known as the love or cuddle hormone.
In fact, oxytocin also helps to create a strong bond between a pup and his human.
When you have a puppy giving you unconditional love and affection, you will feel your stress melt away as you give in to more playtime with your puppy.
Improved Discipline
A study was carried out to determine if caring for a pet will improve their self-discipline. In this study, teenagers with diabetes were found to manage their diabetes better when they had to care for a pet fish than their counterpart without a pet.
When these teenage pet owners are tasked with keeping their pet on a feeding schedule, they also checked their blood glucose levels more regularly, helping them manage their disease better.
Preventing Allergies in Toddlers
Surprisingly, researchers have also found that toddlers exposed to pet dogs or cats before six months are also less likely to develop symptoms related to allergies.
This includes hay fevers, eczema and other symptoms.
When toddlers are exposed to dander and allergens in their younger days, their body will build up immunity towards it over time, reducing their reactions towards these allergens in their later lives.
Reducing Chronic Pain
When you pet your dogs, you are releasing another type of hormone called endorphins. This hormone is your body’s natural pain relief and also helps you to feel better generally.
A previous study found a link between improved cardiovascular functions and dog visitations in a hospital setting.
This is why many hospitals are using service dogs for patient visitations. They have seen so many cases of improved patient well-being.
Sense Health Changes
If you have a support animal, they may be trained to sense and react to specific changes in your body, such as dangerous drops in blood sugar levels, specific cancers and more.
Your pet dog could be the one to save your life if you have a seizure too.
Pet dogs are also known to deal with autism meltdowns, panic attacks, and other health-related behaviors that you are displaying.