How Having a Dog Could Save Your Life
Dogs provide us with a ready and willing exercise partner. Walk daily with your dog and you’re reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer.
Just being around your dog can help lower your blood pressure, and petting him helps to relax you, as well as him. If you’re sick, your dog may help you get better faster. Dogs can even serve as a watchdog, not just to protect your house from intruders, but to warn you if you’re about to have a seizure. And some dogs can detect when a person has certain types of cancer.
In one study, people who adopted a cat or a dog from an animal shelter experienced a decrease in minor ailments, like headaches. Ten months later, however, this effect was only true for the dog owners. The “cat effect” had apparently worn off. (Perhaps that’s because cat owners do not usually walk their cats as dog owners do.)
If you do have a dog and you’re not taking him her for a daily dose of exercise, maybe it’s time you did. You’ll both be sure to benefit.
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