Why Own a Dog? Benefits range from a healthier body to a happier heart
Dog didn’t become man’s best friend by accident. He loves, plays, and comforts us and asks for little in return. A study done in 2000 by Ralston-Purina found that 93% of pet owners hug their dog or cat daily and that 89% of them play with their pet every day. However, the benefits extend far beyond daily hugs and a game of catch. Here are five:
Dogs bring us together.
Number 1: Love, Companionship, & Touch
Dogs love us and we love them in return. “Dogs give us non-judgmental love and affection,’ says Sally Walshaw, a human-animal bond expert and the Director of Animal Research at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Price Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada. “You can’t get that from a spouse or kids. They love you, but they see your flaws. And point them out to you!”
People, by nature, need contact with other living things to thrive. “One way people can be protected from the ravages of loneliness is animal companionship,” says Alan M. Beck, Director of the Center for the Human Animal Bond at Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana.Having a dog around the house allows you be alone without being lonely.
Angeline Grace, a 31-year old, self-employed interior designer from New Canaan, Connecticut, finds companionship in Reilly, her 2-year old Vizsla. Grace works alone from home and her husband works long hours. “Reilly has filled a void,” says Grace. “Before I would get lonely. Now I have this wonderful creature who gives me love constantly.”
A vital component of canine companionship and love includes touch. Hugging, snuggling, and petting a dog is valuable opportunity for touch, especially for the elderly and those who live alone. “Touch is the first sense you have as a child, and it is the last sense that goes,” says Walshaw. It is also the one humans often get the least of – unless of course they have a dog.
There's no other dog like our own.
Number 2: Laughter and Play
Dogs make us laugh, especially when they are playing with us. “There is this unfettered enthusiam about dogs,” says Cathy Lankenau, a 35-year old teacher who lives in Manhattan and owner of 6-year old mixed breed Lucky. “Every time I take off his collar after a walk he scoots around the apartment with his behind in the air,” she says smiling. For Grace, it all happens with a pig ear. “When I give Reilly a pig ear she does what we call The Pig Ear Dance. It always make me laugh.”
Having a good laugh can result in a physical change too. “I can feel my blood pressure coming down when Becky makes me laugh,” says Carey Millard, of her 7-year old Norwich Terrier. “She’s very therapeutic.” As adults we rarely play like we did as children. “Play is so important and we [humans] don’t get enough of it,” says Walshaw. When you have a dog you need to fit playtime into your schedule.
Number 3: Exercise, Health, & the Natural World
Dogs help us stay active
Dog owners tend get more exercise because their dog needs to get exercise. “Having a dog is a terrific motivational factor,” says Millard. When she walks Becky she enjoys fresh air and the beauty of the outdoors. “Without Becky I wouldn’t have the excuse to do it,” she says. Lankenau’s Lucky is a high-energy pup who requires a lot of exercise. “I am a jogger because of Lucky,” she says. “And it’s healthy to have the responsibility.”
Not only are Lucky and Becky getting their humans outdoors for exercise, but they are providing another service. “Dogs are a link to the natural world,” says Walshaw, especially when humans are spending so much of our time in urban environments and in front of machines.
Number 4: Social Connection & Talk
Dog owners meet and talk to people they normally wouldn’t if they didn’t have a dog. “In New York City, you know people by their dog’s name,” says Millard. “There is a diverse group of people and the bonding item is that my dog likes their dog and vice versa.” Lankenau agrees. “I interact with people I never would have before. Chatting with people of different ethnicities and ages is broadening,” she says. And dog owners don’t necessarily need to go outside for a chat.
Dogs help us see the world differently
“Forty-eight percent of adults confide in their animals and seventy percent of kids fourteen and younger talk to their animals,” says Beck. People not only find comfort in communicating with other people, but also with their dogs.
Number 5: Work
Work is hard, but it is good for us. Any dog owner will tell you that owning a dog is work, especially when it comes to training. Grace trained Reilly herself and she learned a lot about Reilly and herself from the experience. “You have to be very patient [when training] and do it again, and again, and again, but if you stick with it, the reward is amazing,” she says. “You feel good about yourself that you can do something like that.” Challenges make us stronger, and successfully training your dog is rewarding.
With these benefits it’s no surprise that 36% of pet owners celebrate their pet’s birthday, that 31% take their pet on vacation, 22% take their pet shopping, and 13% take their pet to work. A dog is more than just a dog. “A companion animal plays the role of a family member,” says Beck. “Often, a member with the most desired attributes.”
A version of this piece originally published in Dog Fancy, October 2003
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