Why Having a Dog Is Good For Your Health

 

Have you ever enjoyed keeping a dog as a pet? Do you know all the health advantages that owning a dog may offer? Since I have always enjoyed having a dog around the house, I think I am a little biased, but I find it difficult to see why more people do not make the commitment to acquire a dog. I discuss how a dog can benefit and enhance people's health in this essay.

•  Dogs relieve stress

Owning a dog can help people who are often stressed out in their life. Going out in the garden or in the local park and throwing a ball to my dog to fetch, often brings a smile to my face. I can see my dog wagging her tail in enjoyment as she retrieves the ball, she then drops the ball at my feet in the hope that I will throw it again. As she runs full speed after the ball again, I just stand there in amazement at her sheer power of her. Being somebody myself who has always struggled to cope with stress, I find this whole experience helps me in a number of ways. As well as bringing a smile to my face as previously mentioned, which of course is showing that I am happy, this game is helping me to take my mind off all of the things that I was worrying about.

When back in the house the dog shows me a lot of love and likes to cuddle up with various members of our family on the sofa, including me of course. This makes our home so much cozier and warmer, and this itself helps in reducing the amount that I stress. The warmth and love always make me feel better and help me to think in a more positive way. There is nothing worse for somebody like myself than spending long periods on my own as this makes my mind start to wander, I basically start to think too much about aspects of my life and the future. This thinking is probably better described as worrying.

• Great for exercise

Taking the dog on these walks to the park is also a great form of exercise for me. I am sure that I do not have to explain the health benefits of exercise to the readers of this article, but you can see that this is another good reason for owning a dog. When walking the dog, the fresh air and the time away from the house help me to clear my mind. As an example, if my wife or children are starting to annoy or nag me, which in turn can lead me to become a bit stressed, this is then the time that I will put the dog on her lead and take her for a walk. Sometimes I do this eight times a day! I hope that when I return home that the house will be a lot calmer and a more relaxed place to be.

As you can probably tell, Pets improve social skills and social connectivity and are excellent conversation starters! I gain a lot of pleasure from having a dog as a pet and I am sure that more people could as well, if only they were willing to give it a try.