Did you know that having a dog can literally save your life? The benefits that having a dog gives us are many, since they are able to change our habits, make ourselves more responsible, and acquire healthier routines. On the other hand, they also offer us protection and company.
According to a study conducted in a Swedish journal called Scientific Reports, having a dog as a pet can help us live longer. This same study, which was conducted over 12 years, states that dog owners who live alone have an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and up to 33% lower risk of overall mortality.
This study involved 3 million Swedish people between the ages of 40 and 80. And the results yielded truths about the myriad benefits it offers. The reasons are several:
Walking the dog helps people stay more active
And thus comply with the medical recommendations for physical exercise. Moving is important, especially for elderly people, that is why having a dog and assuming the responsibility of taking it out for a walk makes the quality of life of its owners significantly improve.
Also increase social contact
When we go out to walk the dog it is likely that we end up meeting someone who is doing the same, this is usually reason enough to start a conversation, meet new people, and discuss our furry.
In this way, having a dog and taking it out significantly increases the health of its owners, but also their happiness. Dogs are an important source of social supportThey perceive our emotions, they know how to act to encourage us, and of course, how to look to soften us. To have a conversation with a dog, it is not necessary to know any language, just look him in the eye, understand his nobility, and commit to complying with his basic care.
A curious fact that the study carried out shows is that the dogs that tend to be more beneficial to the quality of life of their owners, are those whose breed was originally intended for hunting, like the retriever, the hound or the terriers. The reason is simple: these dogs are larger, very lively and energetic, which means that their owners must make a greater effort to exhaust them at the time of the walk.
Having a dog makes you much more responsible
There are a series of implications that must be met so that the dogs do not suffer, nor the owners become victims of an undesirable coexistence. Dogs have to go for a daily walk to relieve themselves outside, and not at home, run, play, and interact with other dogs.
These habits make the difference between a happy dog and an unhappy dog. Owners who love their furry ones will get involved in these tasks, making their own daily routine have great responsibilities that they have to fulfill. Not counting feeding, drinking, taking them to the vet whenever necessary, grooming them, and pampering them (very) from time to time.