Using dogs for therapy purposes is a new trend in mental health. There are therapy dogs for school children in crisis, pets with special permissions to enter stores and restaurants to help owners with mental illnesses, and even a program at Chapman University called Furry Friends for Finals, in which students can pet one of 10 puppies that are stationed outside the library the week before exams as a means to de-stress. Petting and playing with puppies has shown to increase levels of “feel-good” hormones serotonin and dopamine, which can help reduce stress levels and help improve memory and concentration.
Also, The Journal of Physical Activity & Health found that dog owners are more likely to reach their fitness goals than those without canine companions. Researchers at Michigan State University found that dog owners are 34 percent more likely to fit in 150 minutes of walking per week than non-dog owners. The study also found that owning a dog promotes health and fitness even after you take your pup for a stroll, increasing leisure-time physical activity by 69 percent.
Pets innately know when we need them most, which gives us a feeling of belonging and a self-esteem boost. Psychologists at Miami University and Saint Louis University conducted three experiments to examine the potential benefits of pet ownership among what they called everyday people. The findings concluded that pet owners “fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions,” said lead researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio. “Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extroverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners.
The underlying benefit of having a furry friend is that their care-free attitude and personality give you a source of entertainment. They will put a smile on your face, even when you thought it would be impossible to laugh. In some cases, they do something that they know you find hilarious because they get the sense that you feel like you need cheering up.
