Want less stress, get a dog and reap the benefits

After 6 months without having a 4 legged furry friend in my home I have to say that I really felt the effects of his absence, things stressed me out more,  I found excuses to stay on the couch and walking and exercise took a back seat.  Coming home just wasn’t the same, we all missed those warm, love you family eyes and the wagging tail.

Charlie, who many of you know as Monty passed away in May (don’t till the kids) and it broke our hearts to say  goodbye.   

My dearest husband, who knew how much I missed having a dog, decided to buy me a puppy for Christmas.  What a wonderful surprise and life changed in an instant.    Meet Ruby …

I know that not everyone is a dog person but in my eyes there is nothing like the unconditional love of a dog and there are many benefits associated with that connection you feel to your furry friend.

Interacting with your dog each day has a tremendous number of health benefits, often more effective than popping a pill or going to the Doctor.

In my opinion the top 5 best Benefits of Dog Ownership are:

1. Interacting (running, playing or walking) with your four legged friend lowers your blood pressure and may help reduce heart disease.  Getting out twice a day also has a huge impact on mood and fitness.
2. I am often amazed about how better I feel when Ruby is lying next to me, there is no doubt that dogs can lift your mood.  We also laugh so much more.
3. Watch your anxiety drop as you connect with your animal; a cuddle, a pat or just watching that tail wagging can have you feeling calmer.
4. The stress hormone cortisol is lowered and a rise in serotonin when your dog is around you enabling you to feel a greater sense of wellbeing.
5. Recent research has shown that when you have a dog that has a special place in your heart it leads to greater empathy towards both animals and humans. The same study also shows that kids who grow up with a dog often have an easier time communicating in later life.

You might say well there is a downside.  Yes having a  puppy is like having a toddler but its not long before things like toilet training and teaching good habits start to pay off.  The other reason some people put this off is because they want to travel or go away. And yes we love to travel but we maybe go away a few weekends and maybe a couple of weeks a year.  Finding someone you trust to look after your pet is not hard. For the other 50 weeks you have the love and admiration of this incredible animal on a daily basis.

I love this quote by Josh Billing “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than she loves herself.”

Elaine