22 Ways Dogs Make Humans Healthier

Guest post!

Oftentimes we come home from a busy day at work feeling all stressed out and drained. We don’t feel like doing anything else but eat unhealthy food, keep to ourselves, and probably just watch TV until we feel we have had it.

But there are some of us who are lucky enough to come home to a furry companion, tail wagging, and body language screaming “I missed you!”  That’s when we feel a sudden wave of calm and just plain goodness at the mere sight of our canine friend.  It’s as if our day wasn’t that tiring at all!

This feeling of relaxation and elation is not our imagination.  Contrary to what we may think, research has shown that owning a dog is actually good for us.

Pet dogs have their own ways of keeping us healthy, both mentally and physically.  Studies have shown that our fluffy pals provide unconditional love and acceptance that we need to put our minds at ease and relieve stress.

According to our well-crafted and colorful infographic below, the many benefits of owning a pet dog include the following

Dogs enhance our mood

The bond that forms between that companionship makes a big difference in our mental health. They help reduce anxiety and relieve stress.

They also help lower the bad mood chemical in our brain – Cortisol and help release the good mood chemical, Serotonin. Even the simple act of petting our furry companions has a positive effect on our health, as research has shown.

Dogs keep us active

Of course, there are the daily walks with our canine companions that give us the extra exercise we need to stay physically healthy.

Dogs naturally need to visit the outdoors from time to time, forcing us to lay down our smartphones and leave social media and the Internet and join our furry little buddy for an afternoon stroll or run.

Dogs can be therapy professionals

The benefits we reap from our relationship with dogs have been proven time and again in both research and actual situations.  In fact, many therapists continue to support and advocate the therapeutic effect that our furry pets have on us.

A number of therapists also use dogs during therapy sessions with their patients. In fact, some dogs are trained to be either guides or warning devices for those of us who have special conditions where early detection of onset is critical.

Dog owners often have strong bones

As mentioned earlier, dogs need to be walked on a regular basis, so through the simple act of walking, dog owners are able to do a lightly active weight-bearing activity, strengthening muscles and bones in the body. You should thank your dog for keeping your bones tough.

For a complete list of the many health benefits of having a pet dog, scroll down and check out our eye-catching infographic below.

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