12 Benefits Of Owning A Dog

Man's best friends are a catalyst for good energy, health and happiness.

Did you know that having a dog brings many benefits to our health?

As part of World Dog Day, celebrated this Friday, we will tell you about the multiple documented benefits of adopting or buying a faithful companion.

1. Therapeutic benefits

Studies conducted by the Waltham Center on Mars, a pioneer and world scientific leader in nutrition and welfare for companion animals, have shown that in children with autism, animal-assisted interventions have facilitated improvements in critical areas such as social functioning, concentration and attention.

Assistance dogs have the role of performing some of the functions and tasks that the person cannot perform as a result of a disability. For example: the Signal dog is key for people with hearing disabilities, while the Guide dog is for people with visual disabilities.

2. Psychological benefits

Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than non-pet owners. Even for those who develop clinical depression, having a pet can help them come out of a major depressive episode even more effectively than medication.

Service dogs are trained to help deal with the various symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that some soldiers experience when they return from combat.

These canine treatments help deal with anger, nightmares or insomnia, hypervigilance, recurrent memories, feelings of reliving the traumatic event, emotional numbness, social isolation to reintegrate the affected person into civilian life.

3. Boost immunity

Dogs are covered in germs. Having a dog in the house means more bacteria in the home and therefore its occupants are more exposed to them (study on "dog-related biodiversity"), especially high on pillowcases. For this reason people with dogs seem to get sick less frequently and less severely than people who do not have a dog.

Likewise, a house with a dog makes children less likely to develop allergies in the course of their lives according to the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy & Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS).

4. Increase your positivity

The interaction and love received from a dog can also help people stay positive. Even the simple act of looking at your pet increases the amount of oxytocin, the chemical that makes your brain feel good.

5. They detect low sugar levels

An article in the British Medical Journal indicated that more than a third of dogs living with diabetics show behavioral changes when their owners' blood sugar levels drop, sometimes even before the patients themselves were aware of it .

6. They detect cancer

According to a 1989 case study in The Lancet, a patient reported that his dog constantly sniffed at a mole on his leg, and once even tried to bite the lesion off, discovering it to be malignant melanoma.

Dogs are not only good at sniffing out skin cancer, some can also detect bladder, lung, breast, ovarian and colon cancer. In one experiment, Panda, a trained eight-year-old Labrador retriever, correctly detected colorectal cancer in 33 of 37 breath and stool samples from people that scientists had collected.

7. It keeps you fit

Taking on the care of a dog requires a routine and forces you to stay a little active.

Having a dog means taking it for a walk. This means that most dog owners meet the recommended amount of a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day.

On the other hand, if you like to run, there are breeds that are perfect as company in your running outings and that will follow your rhythm with delight.

8. Your social life is more active

Walks in the park where the dog plays and interacts with friends encourage their owners to do the same with other dog owners, always meeting new people.

Studies show that people who have dogs trust people who also have dogs more and are therefore more likely to interact with them. They provide us with an emotional balance helping us to be more responsible, attentive and affectionate, increasing our social contact.

9. Your heart will be healthier

Just petting a dog lowers heart rate and blood pressure. A Chinese study found that people who own a dog sleep better at night and get sick less often. Other studies show that pet owners have slightly lower cholesterol and are more likely to survive a heart attack.

10. They can help a person with seizures

Organizations currently train dogs to recognize subtle behavior or body language changes during seizure events.

Although some researchers have questioned whether dogs are capable of alerting owners to seizures, most researchers agree that a dog can at least be an important support and companion for epilepsy patients.

11. They help with your anxiety

Living with a dog reduces anxiety levels due to the increased empathy that it provokes towards others and your environment, says psychologist Natalia Pérez Alonso and member of Fundación Diagrama.

12. Change everyone's life

The presence of a dog at home changes the life of a child who suffers from some physical or motor condition, when they receive special training and proper nutrition they manage to become an assistance "guide" to help these little ones.

When it comes to sibling bonding, a dog can be especially positive for closeness through mutual feelings and goals. Living with a canine changes the lives of an entire family for the better.

For these and more benefits, dogs are considered "man's best friend". They are loyal, affectionate, listen to you and are a pleasant company.