Dogs make us feel better because…….
The dogs we love so much provided us with a sense of balance and emotional strength.
We all know that having a dog makes us feel better. Scientifically, dogs are proven to improve the quality of life mentally for people. Let’s examine some of the reasons why.
For people who experience a loss in their life, such as the death of a loved one, those who had a dog experienced less depression than those who did not. This is especially true for grieving adults who did not have a strong human support network.
Dogs give people a sense of security. Most people feel less frightened,more secure and less prone to be a victim of a crime when they walk with a dog or have a dog in their home.
Dogs can help us relax and reduce everyday stress. Having a dog helps you focus on something other than your worries and troubles. It has been proven scientifically that when petting a dog, a person’s blood pressure and heart rate will actually decrease. The petting is relaxing for the dog as well. Physical touch is very important to a person’s emotional well-being. Consider a hug when you are distressed and how much better you feel. Hugging and petting your dog can give that same sense of peace.
Dogs help us to feel less lonely and isolated. This is why animals or “therapy dogs” are often brought to nursing home facilities because it truly brings the feeling of companionship to all that are exposed to the dog.
We as human beings need to be needed. Having a dog means it has to be fed and cared for. This helps to give an individual with limited human contacts a reason for existing.
If you just have a dog because you enjoy a cool wet nose nuzzle or the happiness of a wagging tail, you are not alone. But in addition dogs provide so much more, so enjoy!!!
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