Feature/General
A Smooch from Your Pooch Can Help Fight Illness
By Amanda Rodriguez
March 2005

Oh, those cute furry faces, wagging tales, wet noses and constant eagerness to please can make any pet owner's heart melt, but can owning a pet actually make you healthier? Pet owners take heart: owning a pet really can enhance your own personal health.

One of the most noticeable health benefits of owning a pet is a lowered heart rate. In one study, doctors measured participants' resting heart rates, then their heart rates during normal conversation with little or no movement, and finally their heart rates while they were physically engaged with their pets. Though the amount of physical activity was the highest while the pets were present, participants heart rates were the lowest recorded. Some even dropped 50% lower than their own resting heart rates!

In addition to lowering your heart rate, Little Rover may also help reduce your out-of-pocket health care costs. Individuals and families with pets report fewer minor health problems, meaning less trips to the doctor (Friedmann, 2000, Serpel, 2000). The savings add up even more if you replace expensive therapeutic techniques with walking a dog or gazing at fish swimming in an aquarium. Both are proven to be far more effective in lowering blood pressure than any of the more traditional meditative techniques (Lynch, 1985).

Even more than adults, children greatly benefit from interactions with pets. Their cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet (Poresky, 1988). It's been shown that children that live with dogs or cats in their first year of life have a lower frequency of allergic rhinitis and asthma (Hesselmar, 1999). Pets help children better cope with a parent or family member's passing. Many times, pets offer an outlet for emotions that children would ordinarily have trouble expressing to an adult. Dogs are now being used in reading programs. When children are reading to dogs they stutter less, have a smoother reading pattern and better annunciation. Children who own pets score significantly higher on empathy and prosocial orientation scales than non-owners (Vidovic, 1999).

These children are also more likely to be involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs or chores (Melson, 1990). Pets have such an overwhelming calming effect on children that the presence of a dog during a child's physical examination decreases their stress level (Nadgengast, 1997, Baun, 1998).

How animals have such a profound effect on human's mental health isn't known for sure, but the positive effects are easily noticed. People with less of a social life are less likely to experience loneliness or depression if they own a pet. The pet provides the social acceptance that they are lacking in other areas of their lives. On a personal level, pets provide stability during emotional distress. They are our comforters, counselors, companions, family members and exercise partners. They are non-judgmental and always think that your singing sounds great. In short, if you are considering adding a pet to your family, don't only think about the fun you'll have or the added work they require, just think you're doing it for your health.

Amanda Rodriguez is owner of Pawtropolis, Inc. in Athens, GA. She has been doing obedience training for 12 years, obtaining five titles from the American Kennel Club.