Dogs are easily domesticated animals, and easier to train for companionship than cats. They can reduce anxiety, stress and depression.
Dogs increase your mood dramatically!
Spending around 15-30 minutes with a dog can help you feel more relaxed and calm, which helps reduce stress and increase happiness. When playing with a dog, your levels of serotonin and dopamine increase, helping to boost your mood.
Encourages a healthier lifestyle
Dogs require daily exercise, meaning you will also be benefiting from walking your dog. As you carry the responsibility of looking after your dog, you have the opportunity to increase how much exercise you do, leading to a more active lifestyle.
Reduce loneliness
If you live alone and suffer from anxiety or depression, getting a dog could help you to feel less lonely. Having a companion in the house to look after allows you to have company in the absence of other people. Dogs need to socialise with other dogs too. So, by taking them to a park you could meet new people which opens opportunities to build friendships.
Reduce stress
Dogs can help reduce stress because they provide emotional support through understanding human cues. Having a dog also relieves stress through sensory comfort in the act of stroking a dog or the dog licking you. When serotonin and dopamine are released, stress levels are reduced.
Help have a clearer mind
When you increase the amount of physical activity you do, your ability to think, plan, concentrate and memorise is enhanced. This can help you perform more effectively at work, which can have positive impacts on your whole life. Having a clearer mind has so many benefits to an individual’s lifestyle, and simply having a dog can boost this.
If you are thinking about adding a dog to your family, there are a few factors that you should consider before taking the leap:
- Do you have enough time to walk your dog each day? If you are looking for a dog that is known to be energetic, you should consider whether it is realistic to take them for a long walk each day.
- Do you work somewhere that takes you away from your house for long periods of time? If you work long hours, without someone who could look after the dog whilst you are absent, you should consider how long the dog would be left at a time.
- Can you afford it? The initial cost of a dog is expensive (unless you adopt), and this isn’t the only cost that would come from having a pet. You must think about food, water, and vet bills if the animal falls ill or has an accident. These could end up being very expensive, so try to include financial considerations in your decision.
Overall, if you are considering getting a dog, they are great companions that could help boost your mental health. However, buying or adopting a dog is easy, it’s taking care of it that could be difficult, so make sure you’ve carefully made considerations before you go through with it.
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USA Today Health Blog 