How Are Dogs Beneficial to Your Health?

Dogs and humans have lived together in harmony for centuries. The human-dog relationship is a special one and can actually be beneficial to human health.

  1. Endorphins

    • Petting or spending time with a dog can produce endorphins in a human brain. Endorphins are hormones that make people happy, combat stress and relieve pain.

    Decreased Blood Pressure

    • Dog ownership can relieve stress, a major cause of high blood pressure. In fact, a study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that pet owners were able to recover from stress more quickly when accompanied by their pets.

    Decreased Recovery Time

    • According to "New York Magazine," dog owners recover from heart problems more quickly than those who do not own dogs. A study by the NIH found that dog ownership helped heart patients live longer following a heart attack.

    Increased Exercise

    • Dog owners tend to get more exercise that nondog owners. Dogs require daily walks, which benefit the owner as well as the dog.

    Symptom Prediction

    • Dogs can help predict seizures, detect cancerous tumors and low blood sugar and help people with Parkinson's Disease live a more normal life by alerting them when their feet "freeze" while walking. A nudge to the foot from the dog helps the foot to move again normally.