Everyone knows that owning a dog adds a lot of fun to your life, but did you know that it can make you a better person with a higher quality of life? Well, it can, and we will tell you how.
How Owning a Dog Improves Your Life
If you are considering owning a dog, you should go ahead and get one because it will equally improve your wellbeing.
Improved health
Pets bring real health benefits to their owners as well as creating feelings of fulfilment, compassion and meaning. Regarding health, dog ownership has been linked to lower levels of stress, asthma and blood pressure. The fact that dog ownership is linked to lower blood pressure and lower rates of heart disease in general makes owning a dog important because heart disease is the number one killer of adult Americans. So, having a dog can be a good strategy to lower your blood pressure and keep heart diseases away.
Dogs help you engage more in exercise
Dog owners engage in more exercise than those who don’t own dogs. On average, dog owners take 2,760 more steps than their puppy-less counterparts. Additionally, dog owners engage in 23 more minutes of moderate exercise than dog-free people daily.
Similarly, the dogless are sedentary for approximately 30 minutes more than dog owners each day. A lot of this has to do with the fact that dogs must be walked on principle, but additionally, dog ownership creates empowerment in the dog owners, accompanying the fulfilment and satisfaction owning dog entails.
Owning a Dog improves your mental health
Speaking of which, the mental health benefits of having a dog are just as quantifiable and astounding. Pets are known to reduce stress, especially when you spend a good amount of time petting your dog, an action that has been proven to have soothing effects on both the animal and the owner.
Furthermore, when you connect with your pet, you release oxytocin which not only helps you bond with your little furry friend but also helps to reduce blood pressure and lower cortisol levels, which are linked with anxiety (i.e. having a pet is a major antidote to anxiety).
Owning a dog helps you combat loneliness
Dogs help to combat feelings of loneliness by providing you with company and care. It’s no secret that dogs can provide their owners with a lot of love and support. Even just through the act of the dog being with or next to you, thoughts that are plaguing you can be alleviated.
Dogs are also undeniably great listeners, giving you unconditional love through a series of woes. They can greatly mitigate any isolation you are experiencing by not only providing you with company but also being great social butterflies! Dogs certainly create opportunities to meet people and lessen any social anxiety or tension that may be often experienced.
Takeaway
All in all, having a dog is undeniably beneficial. You are helping a life out, by providing a pure animal with love and care, but additionally, you will receive invariable advantages as well. Dogs provide a sense of purpose, contentment and most of all, love. When you find yourself ready to open your heart to a puppy and all the support and benevolence that comes with it, contact the dog experts at Silver Nickel Puppies to find your perfect pooch.
