Oftentimes, dogs are trained to be therapeutic pets, going from hospital to hospital and offering up their services as friends and companions to those in need of a speedy recovery. The positive impact these pets can have on patients is a medical fact, and it’s a wonderful thing to see someone’s face light up when a therapy dog enters the room. However, did you know that a dog doesn’t have to be a trained therapy dog to offer similar benefits to you and your family? Indeed, dogs can do a lot to improve your mental health, and if you own a dog, they are probably doing it already without you realizing it!

1.       Decrease Depression

Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression. There are a variety of reasons for this; one may have to do with the more physical neural reasons that you will read about below, but others may have to do with the intimate bonds and connections you can form with dogs. These relationships form the basis of a happy and healthy life, which is exactly what you need to combat and prevent depression.

2.       De-stress & Have a Heart

First, caring for a dog, petting a dog, playing with a dog – all of this can lower your blood pressure and prevent it from rising quite so much in stressful situations. Consequently, pet-owners are less stressed and suffer from less in the way of heart illnesses due to high blood pressure. You’ll not only be happier – you’ll live longer! Furthermore, pet owners have remarkably lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels, both of which are factors in heart disease. You’ll just have an all-around healthier heart with a dog in your life!

3.       Be Healthy and Happy Into Your Old Age

It is known that pet owners who are over the age of 65 make, overall, 30% fewer visits to their doctors than those who do not own pets. Why is that? Because they feel better than their counterparts! That means that just by owning a pet, they have aged in a healthier, happier way than they otherwise would have. This is largely owed to the many mental and physical benefits that dogs provide to their owners.

Why are dogs so helpful to our mental and physical well-being? A big part of this is likely how a dog fulfills out need to experience touch. Petting, rubbing, and scratching a dog is like handling a baby or holding hands with a loved one – a social act that is important for us, biologically and mentally, to engage in. With a dog, you always have a friend to be social with!