age is really just a number

Truth:

For people who are solo, owning a dog decreases the risk of death by 33% and cardiovascular death by 36% in a recent study of 3.4 million people.

Truth:

Even for people living in family groups, the risk of cardiovascular death goes down by 11%! AND this holds true even if adjusted for BMI, smoking and economic status!! This has been documented in studies by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the NIH (National Institute of Health). Another documented benefit of owning a dog is even faster recovery from a CVA (stroke). All great stuff!

So why is this true for dogs and not other pets??

I’m not hating on cats, gerbils, or any other type of pet but dogs rule in extending your life! Why? Well, a very basic common sense reason is that a dog needs to be walked. Come rain, shine, snow, sleet, heat, etc – you get the idea – a dog needs to be walked every day and most at least twice a day. This increases physical activity levels, especially in the elderly.

Benefits of having a dog:

• natural everyday movement
• a sense of purpose or need to get out of bed
• decreased loneliness and sense of isolation
• an unconditional non-judgemental simpler loving relationship
• improved immune system; due to carrying in dirt and licking which interacts with the microbiome in your gut
• decreased stress
• co-sleeping actually improves sleep quality
• petting decreses your heart rate and blood pressure
• boosts overall mood and increases happiness
• even improves your social life by making you leave the house and being an instant icebreaker!

Let’s face it that studies show that dogs improve our lives by making us happier, feel needed and loves as well as make us move more. A wagging tail greeting you at the end of the day with unconditional love can make the worst days better!

Love my dog even more now that I know the facts!