1. Affection
Studies show that snuggling with and petting your dog raises endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin levels. These feel good hormones are good for your health. Research also confirms that looking into your dog’s eyes can give you a positive emotional boost.
2. Free Help Cleaning Up Food Messes
If you don’t mind your pup hanging out under the kitchen table, you won’t have to worry about the kids dropping food on the floor!
3. Dogs Keep You Moving
No matter the weather, your dog is the best incentive to get outside and exercise while Fido takes care of business.
4. You Have Your Own Furry Therapist
No one loves you more unconditionally than your dog. And most pups will listen to you talk for as long as you want. Spilling your guts to your pooch helps you feel better about the way you spend your time. And the best part, your deepest secrets are safe with Fido.
5. Dogs Makes You More Attractive
Having a dog is scientifically proven to make you more attractive to others. According to a study in the UK, 60 percent of the 700 people surveyed said that owning a dog makes people more attractive, while 85 percent think people are more approachable when they are with a dog.
6. Dogs Teach You Life Lessons
Dogs help us learn compassion, patience, humor and responsibility. Dogs teach us problem solving skills as we figure out what care techniques work best for their individual personalities. And if you have kids in the house, the family dog helps to teach children that taking care of another living creature may sometimes be difficult, but it’s always rewarding.
7. Dogs Keep You Connected To The World Outside Your Door
When you own a dog, you are inevitably going to be stopped by people who want to know about your pooch and spark a conversation. In a world filled with email, texting and Zoom, even a socially distant connection with another human being is a welcome reprieve from technology.
8. Dogs Feel Your Pain
A CNN article details how veterans are aided by Service and Therapy Dogs. According to the article, “Dogs have been proven to help the recovery process of soldiers going through post-traumatic stress disorder. One army veteran, Robert Soliz, a former army specialist who served in Baghdad, found that engaging with dogs in a program called ‘Paws for Purple Hearts’ helped him get his life back to the way it was before he left for war. When he returned, Soliz was so traumatized that he couldn’t show any affection and struggled to even hug his kids. After spending six weeks with a Golden Retriever named Soliz, he began to feel more comfortable with his family.”
9. Dogs Protect Us
There’s a little bit of police dog lurking inside all of our furry friends. Almost every dog will sound the alarm when you when you have a visitor at the door. Trained working dogs spend their days sniffing out drugs, bombs, disaster survivors and more. Dogs don’t think twice about putting themselves in harm’s way for us.
10. Dogs Are Good For Your Heart
Your dog can help you live a longer, happier and healthier life. Improved happiness, physical activity, community involvement, company, and affection reduce stress. All of which may be responsible for a reduction in cardiovascular disease.
