Have you ever noticed that dogs can elicit a unique type of excitement from people? You may see your typically stoic friend turn into a goofy, sweet-talking mushball when they come across a puppy.
Senior Finley Blankenship remarks, “I love coming home to my dog after a long school day, it always makes me smile.”
Senior Paige Hibbard states, “I think everyone should have a dog because they are awesome companions!”
Strangers may stop other strangers on the street to ask to pet their dog, when on any other given day, if no pet was present, they would not give each other a second glance. You may see smiles spread across faces when dogs are near.
But one might wonder how it is that dogs seem to have this transformative power. Is it merely psychological, or is there more to it?
According to UC Davis and News in Health, the calm presence dogs bring can have a powerful impact on multiple aspects of mental health. The unconditional acceptance and companionship dogs provide to their owners, or even to people simply spending time with them, has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and loneliness.
In such an anxious generation, people are constantly searching for ways to ease stress and pets provide a pretty spectacular option. Being a dog owner can provide a sense of purpose, and the connections created with pets can help reduce the burden of depression.
These emotional effects are not merely psychological, News in Health tells us that interaction with animals can lower the stress hormone cortisol and increase the “love” hormone oxytocin which promotes positive feelings.
In addition to improving emotional well being, time with dogs may even improve interpersonal relationships. Walking a dog or going to a dog park can both provide opportunities to connect with other pet owners, and pets can even help to teach their owners to be better people.
Psychology Today tells us that “people who build strong connections with animals often report increased patience, greater emotional steadiness and even improved human relationships.” Thus, practicing love with our dogs and pets can help us become more empathetic with each other.
In a study where kids spent 10 minutes with guinea pigs, anxiety was lowered and resulted in increased peer engagement and better social interactions between kids during playtime with the pets.
The positive impacts our canine companions have on us are not limited to psychological and emotional benefits; our physical health can see improvement, too.
Since dogs naturally have the need for exercise, being a dog owner often promotes getting outside and increased physical activity while walking the dog or playing fetch. With this increased movement, pet owners may benefit from lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Whether the population is consciously aware of these benefits or not, society’s love for dogs has grown. And with it, opportunities to spend time with pups have increased as well. Take “Puppies and Yoga” for example, people spend money to be surrounded by tiny puppies who aren’t even potty trained yet. There must be a pretty magnetic reason for this draw.
In a world where stress abounds and social interaction is limited by screens, dogs provide not only companionship but also comfort, connection and better health. Next time the stresses of life are feeling extra heavy, downward dog next to a puppy pal may just be the prescription we all need.