“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.” -Milan Kundera
You probably don’t need to tell a die-hard dog lover (like me) that pets are good for your health but there is a rapidly growing body of research that confirms it. The Center for Disease Control has a good summary and links to other articles and resources. Did you know specifically that having pets can even help owners decrease their blood pressure and lower their cholesterol? It’s true. The effects of having a cat or dog are more powerful than the use of ACE inhibitors, a standard treatment to lower blood pressure.
Another study showed that the overall health of dog owners is better than those who don’t have dogs. The results of this research, tracking the health of 3,031 women in China, aged 25 to 40, were reported in Social Indicators Research. Those who had dogs exercised more often, slept better, reported better fitness levels and had fewer sick days and less trips to the doctor. Other studies have found that especially for people that live alone, pets can help relieve loneliness and bring their owners more social connections.
Pets are natural antidepressants and help us weather times of stress and loss. Their unconditional love is a heavenly balm. I’ve worked with many people who have confessed to me, usually with embarrassment or shame, that they cried more when their dog died than when they lost their parent. This is understandable, and not something to be ashamed of, when you realize how uncomplicated and pure the love of an animal is compared to most of the relationships we have with humans. So few of us have been blessed by familial relationships with the unconditional love and respect that a special pet gives us so effortlessly. Dogs are often some of our greatest teachers about love, loyalty, and the art of just being present for one another.
I just read your article on What Dogs Can Teach Us About Being Human | How’s Your Family Really Doing? and want to thank you for it.