Getting a Dog

You may sense that hanging out with a dog or even looking at pictures of a dog gives your mood a boost, and there's proof that it does. A chemical called oxytocin, which has been found to reduce stress, fight depression and create feelings of trust, increases significantly - for humans and dogs alike - when they spend as little as 30 minutes together. Glad the feeling is mutual!

Did You Know?  

Dog owners were found to experience a spike in oxytocin just from meeting their dogs' gazes.

• Teaching kids to care for a puppy can make them more cooperative and generous.
  
• When kids imagine how a pet feels, it helps them learn to empathize with their peers and take their feelings into account.
  
• Teaching children to confide in their pets as if they were friends can help children recover from trauma.
  
• Children who own pets can have higher self-esteem.
  
• Children who grow up with a pet are less likely to develop allergies.
  
• Kids who own dogs may take fewer sick days.
  

You may have heard about a hormone called cortisol, which is released when we're stressed out, and is often coupled with heightened blood pressure. Over time, these factors can lead to high cholesterol and hypertension. Luckily, reducing stress can be as simple as interacting with a dog, which significantly lowers cortisol levels and improves your immune system’s functions. 

Did You Know?

A study found that when people took care of dogs for just 3 months, they showed significant drops in blood pressure and reactivity to stress. The days their ambulatory blood pressure fell the lowest were the days they took their dogs to work. 

“Because [humans] evolved solving problems about animals, animals have the power to entrain our attention. And when we are around animals, we become more joyous, communicative, expressive, and calm.”

Aaron Katcher, M.D., emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania 

• They provide us with companionship.
• They help us reconnect with our neighbors and friends.
• They serve as companions when family's not around, or make our families even closer.
• They can give us a sense of empowerment that helps us take better care of ourselves.

• A study found that dog owners visit the doctor 8% less frequently than non-owners.
• Cat owners visited even less - 12% less frequently.
• Dog owners have a higher survival rate after a heart attack.

When pets were present during therapy sessions:

• Depressed patients were more social and experienced decreases in depression.
• Children with severe ADHD showed increased attention spans.
• Autistic or developmentally disabled patients were more social, and showed increased attention spans.
• Patients with Alzheimer's experienced decreases in depression and anger, with increased attention spans.

Of course, having a pet isn't right for everyone. But if you're in the right place in life and have love to give, you might be surprised by the ways your life improves.

1. Odendaal, J. S. (2000). Animal assisted therapy: Magic or medicine? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 49(4), 275-280.

2. The Huffington Post, "The Health Benefits Of Having A Dog."  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/21/health-benefits-dogs_n_1421573.html.

3. Purina ONE, "The Mutt-i-gree Program: Teaching Kids about Shelter Pets." http://www.purinaone.com/pets/all/shelter/the-mutt-i-gree-program.

4. The New York Times, "HEALTH; Children and Their Pets: Unexpected Psychological Benefits." http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/11/us/health-children-and-their-pets-unexpected-psychological-benefits.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

5. Purina, "The Advantages of Owning a Dog."  http://www.purina.co.nz/home/all about dogs/your new pet dog/choosing a dog/the advantages of owning a dog.

6. Web MD, "27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health." http://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-pets-improve-your-health.

7. "The Evidence Supporting the Use of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)." http://www.animalsasia.org/images/en/download/The-Evidence-Supporting-the-Use-of-AAT-Text.pdf.

8. Karen Allen, Ph.D.; Division of Clinical Pharmacology; Department of Medicine, Millard Fillmore Hospital; 3 Gates Circle, Buffalo, NY 14209; State University of New York at Buffalo. (Presented at the 22nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Seattle, WA; March 24, 2001)

9. Another Breed of “Service” Animals: STARS Study Findings About Pet Ownership and Recovery from Serious Mental Illness. Wisdom, J.P.; Saedi, G. A.; Green, Carla A. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2009 Jul; 79(3): 430-436

10. G.L. Jennings, Director, The Alfred & Baker Medical Unit, The Alfred Healthcare Group and The Baker Medical Research Institute. (Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Human-Animal Interactions, Animals, Health and Quality of Life, September 6-9, 1995, Geneva, Switzerland).

11. "Depression, Heart Attack Link Tracked to Autonomic Nervous System." http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=103730.