10 Bonuses Of Having A Pet Dog

I always wondered how my friend Geeta and her family in Washington were always happy and healthy; she then told me that her pet dogs gave her family and her not just companionship and entertainment, but a bundle of mental and physical benefits.

The bonuses the pet dogs gave them:

1) According to Geeta, dogs are great mood boosters; playing with them raised the level dopamine and serotonin, the brain’s neurotransmitters that promoted pleasure and tranquility. A pet dog could be considered equivalent to a human companion, with some time spent daily with him/her helping to feel more relaxed and calm.

2) Pradeep, Geeta’s husband felt that pet dogs helped him reach his fitness goals; regular walks with the pet dog along with throwing the ball gave him good exercise. According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health dog walkers walked an hour longer than non-dog walkers. 

3) Geeta’s father-in-law thanked the pet as he had fewer health complaints; research has also proved that those that had pet dogs had lower cholesterol, blood pressure and fewer heart attacks as compared to their counterparts that had no pets. 

4) “Our pet has helped in the treatment of my rheumatoid arthritis”, said Geeta’s mother-in-law; the pet dog was a great motivator for her to move and he distracted her mind from the pain.  

5) Geeta’s son Pramod who goes to medical school felt that pet dogs were great stress relievers; after a stressful day/week in medical school he felt greatly relieved of stress when he came home and played with his dog or took him out for a walk.

6) Geeta’s daughter, Sneha felt she had to tell everyone that her pet dog made her a better person; she said that caring for a pet brought about responsibility and commitment and taught made her more patient and selfless. 

7) Pradeep was really excited as the conversation progressed and he said that his pet dog made him more social; owning a dog and going to pet stores, dog shows and daily walks makes you come in contact with various new people, dog lovers and dog owners to form useful and cordial social links.  

8) Geeta felt that her kids grew stronger because of their pet dogs; this is also proved by research that kids who grew up with pets had lesser allergies and a strong immune system that kept them healthy throughout their life.

9) As I flicked through a pet newsletter, I read that dogs also help in cancer research; this is due to the similarities of diseases in human and dogs. We can learn more about the disease by studying dogs with cancer that could also help in the advancement of research for treatment in dogs also. 

10) Finally Geeta told me that a pet dog proved to be an excellent companion for her neighbor’s kid with ADHD; it helped to instill responsibility in the kid and helped channelize his excess energy to caring for the pet dog. He was also calmer during treatment.

I thanked Geeta and her family for sharing their valuable experiences about their pet with me.