5 benefits of having a pet dog, as per science

Keeping a pet brings with it immense joy and new learning experiences.

And when it comes to having a pet dog, it brings numerous benefits, including companionship, as they are known for their loyalty and unconditional love.

Dogs encourage physical activity through walks and play, promoting a healthier lifestyle. They also provide emotional support, reducing stress and loneliness.

The bond with a dog can enhance social interactions and create a sense of responsibility. Here we list down some scientifically proven benefits of having a pet dog.

In a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers studies how petting a real dog and a stuffed dog of the same size and shape affects our brain. As per the study, petting real dogs supercharged one’s frontal cortex– the part of brain which is important in determining how we think and feel. Thus, the study provides evidence that human-animal interactions can boost emotional and cognitive activities in the brain.

“We chose to investigate the frontal cortex because this brain area is involved in several executive functions, such as attention, working memory, and problem-solving. But it is also involved in social and emotional processes,” Rahel Marti told CNN. Marti is the lead author of the study and he is also a doctoral student in the division of clinical psychology and animal-assisted interventions at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

In a new study, it was discovered that keeping a pet– be it birds, rabbits, fish, cats, dogs, among others– can delay one’s memory loss and other types of cognitive decline. It also helped in boosting one’s verbal memory, as per the research. Sharing more details, the first author of the study, Jennifer Applebaum told CNN, “To our knowledge, our study is the first to consider the effect of duration of pet ownership on cognitive health.” While the study was not just restricted to having dogs as pets, it showed that dogs and cats as pets were more prevalent among people.

‘Owning household pets for five years or more produced the most benefit, delaying cognitive decline by 1.2 points over the six-year period of the study compared with the rate of decline in people without pets, said clinical neuroimmunologist Dr. Tiffany Braley, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan, via email,’reads a report by CNN.

A study published between 1950 and 2019 showed that people who owned pet dogs had a lower death risk. As per studies, dog owners have a lower blood pressure and better response to stress. Thus researchers concluded that owning a dog reduces your stress levels, which is one of the major reasons of cardiovascular problems.

Pet dogs have the power to help us recover or heal psychologically in times of crisis. In a study done by Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, it was found that military veterans who suffered from PTSD did better– physiologically and psychologically– when they had a service dog. Having a pet dog reduced their PTSD symptoms significantly and they also had improved coping skills.

In a study by Pet Wingman, it was found that people who had a profile picture with a pet dog on dating apps are more likely to get swiped right. In another series of studies, it was found that men who had a pet dog with them had a higher chance of getting a woman’s phone number. And so, these studies show that a pet dog is not just your best companion in life but can also help you get a date!