We know that being a dog parent comes with countless advantages. But what does the research say?
The relationship between dogs and people is mutually beneficial — and that’s a fact! Dogs have been shown to help their people by reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, offering social support, enhancing brain development, and so much more. Let’s take a look at the science!
LESS STRESS IN STUDENTS!
In 2019, scientists at Washington State University demonstrated that programs allowing college students to interact with dogs (and cats) have stress-relieving physiological benefits. “Just ten minutes can have a significant impact,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor at WSU. “Students in our study that interacted with these animals had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”
MARRIED DOG PARENTS HAVE LOWER HEART RATES
Researchers examined the influence of having friends, spouses, and animals in 240 married couples, half with animals and half without. The study, by Allen et al, found that both dog and cat parents had lower heart rates and blood pressure at rest, and recovered faster from stress.
LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE FOR STOCKBROKERS
A 2019 study involving a group of 48 stockbrokers with high blood pressure found that those who lived with a dog or other animal had lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without. All study participants were being treated with lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used to treat hypertension. Results showed that ACE inhibitors keep blood pressure steady during non-stressful situations, but don’t prevent it from rising in times of heightened stress. That’s where a dog comes in handy!
SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR INTROVERTS
Dogs are great conversation starters! According to Nadine Kaslow, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Emory University, our canine companions can help ease people out of social isolation or shyness. “People ask about breed, they watch the dog’s tricks,” she says. “Sometimes the conversation stays at the ‘dog level’, and sometimes it becomes a real social interchange.”
ADULT DOG PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN GET MORE EXERCISE
Adults with dogs are far more likely than those without to walk for recreation, and for longer periods per week., according to a survey conducted in West Cheshire, UK. The 2015 report, which surveyed 191 “dog-owning adults”, 455 “non-dog owning adults”, and 46 children, living in 385 households, showed that the odds of adults with dogs meeting the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines of 150minutes per week were FOUR times greater than for those without dogs. Children with dogs also reported more minutes of walking and free time (unstructured) activity.
In a 2019 study, 111 young women in their early 20s filled out a physical activity questionnaire to assess their exercise levels. Participants with dogs and other animal companions generally reported higher activity levels than those without.
KIDS ARE LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP ALLERGIES & ASTHMA
Because of the unique microbes that dogs carry, children who grow up in households with animals have a lower risk for developing autoimmune illnesses, says a 2017 study conducted at the University of Alberta. It confirms that babies born into families with animals (70% of which were dogs) had more microbes associated with lower risks of allergies and obesity. This may result from exposure to dirt and bacteria (such as that found on a dog’s hair and paws) shortly after birth, or through indirect microbiome exchange from animal to mother to unborn baby during pregnancy.
DOGS HELP WARD OFF DEPRESSION IN SENIORS
Seniors really benefit from dog visitors, according to a 2018 meta-analysis. The analysis evaluated symptoms in the aging population and confirmed that animal-assisted intervention reduces signs of depression in institutionalized and non- institutionalized older adults.
IMPROVED SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN KIDS
Children who live with a dog showed higher intellectual development and perspective-taking abilities, according to a systematic review conducted in 2017. The review cites a mixed-methods thesis paper, which found that ten- to 14-year-old students with a strong attachment to their animals had higher levels of validated social-cognitive development scores.
