Friday, June 13, 2014

The Benefits Of Owning A Dog

By Garrett McMahan


If you already own a dog or several dogs, it's probably no surprise to you that having a dog in your life has many benefits. Not only are they great companions, they also can improve your health in many ways. Here are just a few of the many positive aspects of pet ownership.

Your kids will gain a lot from having a dog around the house. While parents might be worried that having a dog will provoke allergic reactions in babies, the opposite actually seems to be true. Studies show that infants who live in a home with a dog are much less likely to develop pet allergies. In addition, if you have a child with a seizure disorder, specially trained dogs can run and alert a parent when a child is having a seizure or simply lie next to them to keep them safe from injury. Plus, your children gain much from simply having the responsibilities associated with pet ownership, such as feeding, walking, brushing, bathing and playing with a dog.

Dogs often can help people who have suffered a trauma, and this includes children or adults that have lost a loved one or perhaps have simply had to deal with a difficult, depression or violent episode in their lives. Having a dog has been shown to reduce the effects of stress, trauma and depression including seasonal affective disorder. People with dogs also tend to be less lonely as they have a warm and fuzzy creature always ready for some love and attention. Pet ownership also has been linked with lower blood pressure and even petting a dog can lower someone's blood pressure. People who have been badly injured or had a heart attack or surgery have been show to recover more quickly if they have a dog.

Dogs also make us healthier in general because dogs need exercise and so do we. When you head out for that morning walk, you and your pet are enjoying some excellent cardiovascular exercise. While this exercise certainly benefits your dog, people who exercise regularly have lower rates of heart disease, as well as lowering their risk of diabetes and other serious ailments. Owning a dog is also very social as dog owners frequently chat while they are out walking their pet. Head to the dog park or go out for a walk, and you and your dog both might make some new friends.

Home security is also another benefit from dog ownership, even if your dog isn't a breed such as a Rottweiler or German shepherd. While not all breeds can take down an intruder, a dog is an excellent first alert system as they sense and hear noise long before we do. Just the sound of a dog's bark can be enough to dissuade an intruder from entering a home. In addition, there are countless stories about how dogs have saved their owners life. They alert their owners about home fires, have gone to get help when their owners were stuck in a dangerous situation and even have fought off intruders or wild animals, keeping children and others safe from harm.

To get the most out of your special relationship, proper training is essential. This keeps your dog safe and prevents your dog from exhibiting any unwelcome behavior, such as jumping, barking, scratching, not coming when called and many more essential skills. Using a DVD dog training system such as The Dog's Way can be an easy way to train your pet. These dog training DVDs provide 12 easy-to-follow lessons as well as helpful reminder cards and a workbook that follows up on each of the lessons. In just a few weeks you will have a healthy and obedient friend that you will enjoy for many years to come.




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