There are many benefits to having a dog other than the love and companionship that they give us. Here are a few –
- HEALTH BENEFITS
Regular dog walking improves your fitness level
Patting a dog lowers your blood pressure and relieves stress, therefore lowering your chance of cardiovascular disease.
Dog owners often recover faster from illnesses and have a higher survival rate after a heart attack
Infants are less likely to have eczema, a common skin allergy which causes red patches and itching
Pet allergies in infants are much less – only 19% of babies with a dog in the household, compared to 33% without dogs
Dogs help improve loneliness and also help people recover faster from personal trauma such as the loss of a loved one
Children with dogs tend to have better self esteem
Dogs help calm hyperactive and overly aggressive children
Playing with dogs can elevate your levels of serotonin and dopamine, which makes you feel good and calm
- TEACHES RESPONSIBILITY
Dogs require a lot of care – they need to be walked, fed, played with and trained
Dogs also help a couple prepare for children. Taking care of a dog is the closest practice for raising a child
- INCREASES SOCIAL INTERACTION
Dog owners frequently stop and talk to one another on walks. Pet owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs and training classes.
Dogs are great for making love connections since they are a natural conversation starters
- ENTERTAINMENT
Dogs are just naturally adorable, just watching them can be relaxing and entertaining, and perk up their owners even on a bad day.
There are so many free activities to do with your dog – take your dog for a walk, training your dog in obedience, agility, tracking, personal protection, Frisbee, are just some of the challenging and rewarding activities
- COMPANIONSHIP
Dogs can raise your spirits and sense of well being
Dogs have learnt to read people’s body language, facial expressions and emotions
Dogs heightened sense of smell, hearing and sight makes them a very intelligent and loyal domestic species
- HOME SECURITY
Dogs keen sense of hearing allows them to hear phone calls long before you do.
Dogs can distinguish the difference between the sound of their owner’s car engine and other vehicles that pass by your house.
Potential burglars are put off by barking dogs. However, this does NOT mean you having a dog ONLY for this purpose, they have feelings too and should not be left alone.
- HELPS WITH DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES
Assistance dogs, such as guide dogs or hearing dogs are trained to help those with mental or physical disabilities, giving their human companions a more independent life.
Animal Assisted Therapy patients may walk therapy dogs, play with them, feed them, groom them. Some therapy dogs are trained to sit quietly and attentively while children read to them.
War dogs are used in modern day military combat as scouts, sentries and trackers.
Police dogs can chase suspects, track them if they are hidden and guard them when they are caught.
Search and rescue dogs work in various conditions often harsh – earthquakes, avalanches, bombings and other calamities, to search and find people.
Stamina, intelligence and skill are required of rescue dogs.
Farm dogs love rounding up cows and sheep, eradicating vermin, herding and guarding livestock. Estate guard dogs guard family, property and surrounding territory and tend to be quite territoria
