Dogs, often celebrated as humans’ best friends, have been extensively studied for their positive impact on our well-being. In this Spotlight, we’ll explore how your beloved canine companion can enhance your overall health.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates that around 78 million dogs are kept as pets in the United States.

While the exact timeline of dog domestication is uncertain, a recent study suggests that in Europe, dogs were tamed between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.

Since at least the Neolithic period, humans and dogs have shared a unique bond of friendship and mutual support. Why has this bond endured for so long?

Historically, dogs have excelled at protecting us and our properties, guarding our homes, livestock, and belongings. Humans have also trained dogs for hunting and bred various species for their charm and elegance.

However, dogs have always been valued companions, known for their loyalty and ability to brighten our days.

In this Spotlight, we present research showing how dogs make us happier, more resilient to stress, and healthier overall, highlighting the many ways these beloved animals support our well-being.

How Dogs Keep You Healthy

Many studies suggest that having dogs as pets is linked to better physical health, as reviews of existing literature indicate. These findings remain consistent.

Last year, Medical News Today reported a study showing that owning a dog can reduce the risk of premature death by up to a third.

Additionally, researchers from Harvard University suggest that dog owners have a lower risk of heart disease.

The exact reason for this is hard to pinpoint, but the benefits may stem from lifestyle changes people make after adopting a dog.

The most significant lifestyle change is increased physical activity. Owning a dog means committing to regular walks, often twice daily or more.

According to a study in The Journal of Physical Activity and Health, dog owners are more likely to walk for leisure than non-pet owners or cat owners.

This study, involving 41,514 participants from California, compared dog owners, cat owners, and non-pet owners.

Recent studies, including one from the University of Missouri and another from Glasgow Caledonian University, found that adults aged 60 and over benefit from the exercise they get by walking their dogs.

“Over the course of a week, this additional time spent walking may in itself be sufficient to meet [World Health Organization] recommendations of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.”

Dogs can improve our health not just in old age, but even before we are born.

Research published last year indicates that children exposed to dogs while still in the womb — as their mothers spent time around dogs during pregnancy — had a lower risk of developing eczema in early childhood.

Also, children exposed to certain bacteria carried by dogs experienced a reduction in asthma symptoms, the researchers noted.

‘Dogs Make People Feel Good’

Perhaps the most immediate benefit of living with a dog is the almost instant “feel-good” effect they have on us.

It’s hard to stay down after a tough day when greeted with enthusiastic, often vocal, affection from a friendly dog.

This, researchers explain, is due to the “love hormone” oxytocin.

“During the last decades,” write the authors of a review in Frontiers in Psychology, “animal assistance in therapy, education, and care has greatly increased.”

Interacting with dogs boosts our oxytocin levels, enhancing our psychological well-being by fostering social bonds.

Studies reviewed in the article reveal that dog owners have more positive social interactions and that dogs make people more trusting and trustworthy.

Moreover, dogs reduce symptoms of depression and help people handle stress better, which is why they are often used as therapy animals. As Brian Hare of Duke University noted in an interview for The Washington Post:

“Dogs make people feel good, and their only job is to help people in stressful situations feel better.”

What Dogs Can Teach Us About Health

Our canine companions can also provide insights into human health issues.

A study covered by MNT earlier this year shows that dogs share certain metabolic conditions — such as obesity — with humans.

Understanding dogs’ gut microbiota and their dietary impacts could help us better manage our eating habits.

Like humans, dogs can also develop certain cancers. They can get brain tumors similar to humans, so studying genetic predispositions in dogs could aid cancer research for humans.

Moreover, a contagious form of canine cancer could shed light on how human cancers develop.

Dogs also exhibit features of dementia, such as impaired problem-solving. Understanding their cognitive decline could help us tackle human dementia.

“Dogs,” says Dr. Rosalind Arden of the London School of Economics and Political Science, “reproduce many key features of dementia.”

“[S]o,” she adds, “understanding their cognitive abilities could help us understand this disorder in humans and possibly test treatments for it.”

Dogs are not just lovable, entertaining companions whose antics fill the Internet with memes; they also help keep us in good physical shape. Their health problems often mirror our own, providing valuable research opportunities.

Above all, we welcome dogs into our lives because they bring joy and calm effortlessly, a gift summarized perfectly by Dean Koontz in his memoir:

“One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they evoke in us. […] By their delight in being with us, the reliable sunniness of their disposition, the joy they bring to playtime, the curiosity with which they embrace each new experience, dogs can melt cynicism, and sweeten the bitter heart.”