It's not just about walking the dog- the potential benefits of owning a pet

It's not just about walking the dog- the potential benefits of owning a pet

As a nation, the UK owns over 7 million dogs and with nearly half of all households owning a pet, it is clear that many people believe that pets can be good for you. Benefits vary from the obvious through to the surprising. The most obvious advantages are health ones; dogs need exercise and by getting out every day with your dog you are getting regular exercise. If you ensure that you walk relatively fast and raise your heart rate then your dog walks become even more beneficial.

Some scientific studies have suggested that the potential health benefits go even further than this. These studies found that dog owners had far fewer minor ailments than those without a pet and that people with pets were far less likely to suffer from allergies than non-pet owners.

Other studies even suggest that dog owners are also far less likely to have a heart attack and that dog owners that do have a heart attack are nearly 9 times as likely to be alive a year after the attack than those without a dog. Some work even suggests that dogs may be trained to act as an early warning system for diseases such as cancer, hypoglycaemia in diabetes and epilepsy and that they are more effective at controlling blood pressure than drugs.

There are many psychological benefits to owning a dog too. The unconditional love that a pet gives does more than just brighten your day; it also raises levels of serotonin which enhances your mood. Dog owning can help people deal with stressful situations better and has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness in owners. In addition, pet owners have been shown to have enhanced feelings of autonomy, competence and self-esteem and to socialize better with others.

A study of 600 children revealed that children with pets coped better with learning difficulties, divorce and had higher levels of self-esteem and function better emotionally than those without pets. In addition, owning a dog can teach your child about responsibility, daily care trust and may even increase their attention span.

All in all, owning a dog is a wondrous thing. So next time you find yourself looking at your dog curled up asleep snoring in its dog bed, or spooning out some smelly dog food count yourself lucky that you are privy to so many potential benefits.

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