Nothing can come close to the devotion and unconditional love that a dog brings to the family. Theres constant entertainment, too. But did you know that science has already proven a number of benefits of having a dog in your life, but most especially in your family? Here are 6 of them.
Makes Us Happy
A 2009 Japanese study found that by simply looking into your dogs eyes, you can raise oxytocin levels. In case you havent heard, oxytocin is fondly called the love hormone because it is usually increased during orgasm and even simple hugging. And when one talks about love being in the air, one only needs to look into the eyes of a dog to feel really happy and content.
Teaches Responsibility to Kids
If you already have children, bringing a dog into your home is giving your kids the opportunity to care for their four-legged friends. You can teach your kids how to properly take care of the dog. They may not realize it now, but their caring behaviors will be carried onto their grownup years. Whether it’s walking, groomin or feeding them, it teaches important life skills. See this site for tips on dog grooming. This is one of the foundations for greater sense of responsibility as an adult and for establishing more mutually beneficial and healthy relationships.
Great for the Heart
In case you havent heard, patients who suffered a heart attack have a much higher chance of surviving if they have dogs in their respective families than those without pets. The strong bond between these patients and their dogs can greatly contribute to a reduction in their stress levels. Stress is one major risk factor in cardiovascular events and has been implicated in lower survival rates after a cardiac event.
Keeps Us Healthy
Some dogs have been used in the detection of certain cancers like prostate cancer. Even without its cancer-detecting capabilities, dogs can keep us healthy because they have this very keen sense of smell that somehow helps them identify whether there is something wrong with us or not. Dogs can even be trained to sniff blood sugar levels to help alert diabetics when its time for their insulin shots.
Keeps Us in Good Shape
We may run or jog every morning, but exercising is made a lot more fun if we can do it with our pet dog. Daily exercise keeps us in good shape. When our dogs accompany us in our exercise sessions, these activities take on a whole new meaning. Were able to share those moments with our very loyal four-legged friend.
Makes Us Friendlier and More Social
Do you have problems making friends or striking conversations with a stranger? Bring your dog and youd have everyone swarming over you. Thats the magic of having a dog in your life. And if your kids were to take these pets with them to the park, you can just imagine how many friends they can make in a day.
The list of benefits of having a dog in your family can go on and on. The point is that, dogs were never called mans best friend for no reason.
