Anyone who has ever owned a dog will tell you that life as a dog owner is very different to life before.
I own three dogs and a cat. There are many things I can say about being a pet owner and why life as a pet owner is better than life without them, here are just 5.
1. People Who Own Dogs Are More Likely To Sleep Better
Sharing my home with four pets, no day is the same – except for three key parts of the day. When we wake, meal times and when we typically go to bed.
The latter is guided by our rescue dog, Danny. He was abandoned and has grabbed hold of any chance of a routine, including when we go to bed and where he sleeps.
Recent research out of China suggests that dog owners are more likely to sleep better which could be in part due to your dog’s presence nearby or knowing you have an alert security guard on standby if needed.
2. Dogs Help You To Stay Active, Staving Off Illness & Disease
One of the biggest benefits of owning a dog is the fact that they give you a ready-made excuse to get active and go outdoors. It’s no longer something you choose to do for you, if you feel like it. It’s something you do for them and whether you adopt a dog or buy a puppy, you’re making a commitment to them to keep them fit and active.
So, when you make this same commitment to them, you’re also making it to yourself. And boy, can you reap the rewards!
The benefits of walking, even as little as 20-30 minutes a day, are well known. Walking is one of those small, low-impact cardio exercises that sometimes we overlook for its health benefits, but as a dog owner you don’t, and in fact you do it without even thinking twice.
Actress and dogsblog.com celebrity ambassador Sarah Jayne Dunn is also a personal trainer and she recently told K9 Magazine 1“If you’re new to exercise then build up slowly, start with a 20-minute walk, then increase this to 25 minutes and so on. Make this more exciting by varying the route you walk or give yourself a time frame to cover a certain part of the journey, to make you work harder and get your heart rate up.”
Regular walking helps to not only build your fitness, researchers say it helps to fight illnesses by building immunity, and can help you to stave off diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
3. Children Who Grow Up With Dogs Are Likely To Grow Up More Healthy
A few years ago, a University study University study 2 undertaken in Finland discovered that children who grow up in the company of dogs (or cats) are likely to be healthier.
Dr. Eija Bergroth, a pediatrician at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland who led the study is quoted saying, “We think the exposure to pets somehow matures the immune system so when the child meets the microbes, he might be better prepared for them.”
In other research, it’s claimed that children who grow up with dogs spent more time each day engaged and active and this year new research from the University of Alberta claimed infants from families with pets were less likely to develop allergies and obesity.
4. Owning A Dog Could Help You To Beat Loneliness
If you ask any dog owner to name five of the best reasons to own a dog you’re guaranteed to hear, “It’s the unconditional love and companionship.” It’s undeniable, they really are man’s – or woman’s – best friend.
Partly because of the companionship and partly because you’ll be getting out and about and can reap the rewards of walking for mental well-being, knowing you have someone who will always be in your corner, who will always cherish your company and greet you with a wagging tail, regardless of the day you’ve had, is something irreplaceable.
5. Dogs Help To Widen Your Social Circle
Many friendships and relationships have been made through dogs.
With your dog in tow, you will find you explore areas new and old. Dog owners will stop to greet you and your dog (in some cases your dog first!) and you’ll find yourself doing the same.
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