- Owning a pet can positively impact not only your health but also your lifestyle.
- Couples who own a pet together have lower blood pressure and interact with each other more than couples who do not own a pet.
- Studies show that pet owners are more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than those who do not have a pet.
- Animals can help children by teaching them about empathy and responsibility, and can even boost their literacy skills.
What are the positive effects of owning a pet?
The Power of Pets
- Possible Health Effects. Research on human-animal interactions is still relatively new. Some studies have shown positive health effects, but the results have been mixed.
- Animals Helping People. Animals can serve as a source of comfort and support. Therapy dogs are especially good at this. ...
- Helping Each Other. Pets also bring new responsibilities. ...
What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a pet?
Pros:
- Increased Personal Safety One definite positive to having a pet unfortunately only applies to larger, free roaming pets. ...
- Receiving Love No matter what kind of pet you get, you are sure to experience increased joy and love. ...
- Learning Patience Particularly when it comes to younger pet owners, having a pet can teach us valuable lessons. ...
How having pets can improve your mental health?
Science Says Your Pet Is Good for Your Mental Health
- Rabbits. In one study, a stressed-out group of adults were told to pet a rabbit, a turtle or their toy forms.
- Crickets. Animals don’t have to be cuddly to help. ...
- Guinea pigs. Animals make socializing easier for kids who find it stressful, says Maggie O’Haire of Purdue. ...
What are the health benefits of having pets?
- Decreased blood pressure
- Decreased cholesterol levels
- Decreased triglyceride levels
How Can Dogs Help You Cope With Depression, Anxiety, and Stress?
More than any other animal, dogs have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. While dogs are able to understand...
How Dogs Can Help You Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes
Adopting healthy lifestyle changes plays an important role in easing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.
The Health Benefits For Older Adults
As well as providing vital companionship, owning a dog can play an important role in healthy aging by:Helping you find meaning and joy in life. As...
The Health Benefits For Children
Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from hav...
Owning A Dog Is A Major Commitment
A dog is not a miracle cure for mental illness. Owning a dog is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and appreciate domestic animals a...
Getting The Dog That's Right For You
If you’ve decided that owning a dog is right for you, congratulations: you’re about to open your life to a unique and rewarding relationship. While...
Where to Find The Perfect Dog
If you have a specific breed of dog in mind, you can look for rescue group that caters to that breed or seek out a reputable breeder. Ask for a ref...
Alternatives to Dog Ownership
If you don’t have the time, money, or stamina to own a dog full-time, there are still ways you can experience the health benefits of being around d...
How do pets improve our health?
Photos: How pets improve our health. The act of caring for another creature is part of the health benefit of pet ownership . A 2015 study asked teenagers with Type 1 diabetes to feed and check water levels of fish twice a day. By the end of three months, the teens were better at managing their diabetes.
Why are pets important?
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN. Pets offer the opportunity for different generations to connect, easing the way toward deeper communications, fostering healthy bonding and reducing loneliness. Pets foster connections that can continue as the child grows, such as through the use of social media.
What is the benefit of living alone with a dog?
The benefit was highest for dog owners who lived alone. Heart attack survivors living alone who owned dogs had a 33% lower risk of death compared to survivors who did not own a dog. Stroke survivors living alone with a dog had a 27% reduced risk of death.
Do dogs need cardio?
Of course these cardio benefits are just for dogs -- not cats, horses, gerbils and the like. Many suggest its the potential exposure to exercise that explains the benefit: The American Heart Association points to studies that found pet owners who walk their dogs got up to 30 minutes more exercise a day than non-walkers.
Can you prescribe a dog for a young child?
One day , Mu eller says, it might be possible to 'prescribe' a dog for a young active child , a troubled adolescent or cardiovascular patient and know -- as much as science can ever know -- what the outcome is likely to be for their health.
Do pets help with stress?
Pet owners certainly believe their pets provide emotional support, especially during times of stress, Mueller said, and thankfully science appears to back that up. "There's some research that shows having a pet with you during an anxious event could help reduce the stress of that event," she said.
Why is having a pet good?
The Benefits of Having a Pet. Animals have a long history of supporting vulnerable members of society, from Guide Dogs for the Blind to Medical Detection Dogs. But it’s not just people with sight problems or life-threatening health conditions that can benefit from owning a pet.
Why is it important to have a pet?
Lower risk of heart disease. Owning a pet can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. It may be that dog owners naturally do more exercise, but pets also play a role in providing social support, encouraging you to stick with a new habit or adopting a healthy behaviour.
What are the responsibilities of owning a pet?
2. Routine. The responsibilities that come with owning a pet can give your day purpose, reward and a sense of achievement. Regular routines and rituals are said to help forge discipline, help energy management and support mental space.
How much money does having a pet save the NHS?
A study by the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International revealed that pet ownership could save the NHS up to £2.45billion a year through reducing the number of visits to a doctor, taking into account the influence ...
What is the role of a pet in social interaction?
Socialising. Pets can act as a social icebreaker between strangers, or as a catalyst for social interaction. Research suggests that dog walkers experience significantly higher social capital (interactions and relationships) than non-dog walkers. 5.
Why do people sit next to their pets?
The Mental Health Foundation has reported that stroking, sitting next to or playing with a pet relaxes and calms the mind, helping to give pet owners some much needed ‘me time’ to improve their mood and overall health.
Why is it important to play with a dog?
Studies have found that dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets and ownership can reduce stress and anxiety levels. Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
What are the benefits of having a pet?
Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.
Why are pets good for you?
Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Pet owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes. Reducing anxiety.
How to keep animals calm?
Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed, anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet and you’ll have to get out of bed to feed, exercise, and care for them. [Read: Coping with Depression] Providing sensory stress relief.
Why are pets important for older adults?
And making new friends can get harder. Pets, especially dogs, are a great way for older adults to spark up conversations and meet new people. Boost your vitality. You can overcome many of the physical challenges associated with aging by taking good care of yourself.
How does a dog's companionship help?
Providing companionship. Companionship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression.
What to do if you don't have a pet?
Most animal shelters or rescue groups welcome volunteers to help care for homeless pets or assist at adoption events. You’ll not only be helping yourself, but also helping to socialize and exercise the animals, making them more adoptable.
How can pets help you make healthy lifestyle changes?
Caring for a pet can help you make healthy lifestyle changes by: Increasing exercise.
How do dogs help you?
3. Dogs help you stop stressing out. Your canine companion can offer comfort and ease your worries. Multiple studies show that dogs and therapy dogs help alleviate stress and anxiety. Even just petting a familiar dog lowers blood pressure, heart rate, slows breathing, and relaxes muscle tension.
Why is it important to own a dog?
2. Dogs are good for your heart. Owning a dog can help you live longer. A comprehensive review of studies published between 1950 and 2019 found that dog owners had a lower risk of death. Studies suggest that dog owners have lower blood pressure levels and improved responses to stress.
Why do dogs make us feel less alone?
Dogs make us feel less alone. Dogs can be there for you even when people can’t. They offer unconditional love, emotional support, and constant cuddles that help stave off social isolation. A small Australian study discovered that dog ownership reduces loneliness.
Why do dogs make a difference?
Research has concluded that the bond between humans and dogs reduces stress, which is a major cause of cardiovascular problems. 3.
Why is walking with a dog good?
Walking with a canine companion can make us more approachable and give people a conversation starter. Think about how many times you’ve talked with other people, whether they’re your neighbors or new friends at the dog park. Researchers have found that about 40 percent of dog owners had an easier time making friends.
How many minutes do dogs walk a week?
Dog owners spend nearly 300 minutes every week walking with their dogs. That’s 200 more minutes walking than people without a pup of their own. 6.
How do dogs help seniors?
10. Dogs help seniors with cognitive function and social interaction. Studies exploring the effects of dogs on seniors found positive results. One study found that pet therapy improves the cognitive function of residents with mental illness in long-term care.
What’s Going on?
Anxiety and Mood
- Pet owners certainly believe their pets provide emotional support, especially during times of stress, Mueller said, and thankfully science appears to back that up. “There’s some research that shows having a pet with you during an anxious event could help reduce the stress of that event,” she said. “Studies have shown repeatedly that people’s good m...
Therapy and Emotional Support
- One of the reasons science is so iffyon the subject of pets and our health is that it’s nearly impossible to conduct the “gold standard” of studies: a randomized controlled trial where the researcher controls all factors and then randomly assigns a pet to the test group. “It’s really difficult to do randomized studies because mostly people want to choose whether or not they ge…
Dogs and Cardiovascular Health
- An analysis last year of nearly 4 million peoplein the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom found dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduction in dying from any cause. If the person had already suffered a heart attack or stroke, having a dog was even more beneficial; they were 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular dise…
Pets as ‘Personalized Medicine’?
- Another research method being used, said Mueller, are longitudinal studies, in which huge numbers of people are followed over long periods of time. The hope is that these studies, and the more scientifically designed experiments, will tease out more precise reasons for why a particular pet might – or might not – be a good fit for a person and their needs. One day, Mueller says, it m…