The benefits of canine ownership are many and varied. Owning a dog can be beneficial to an individual’s health, emotional well-being and also provide social benefits and there are many articles, reports, and studies to support this, including scientific and medical research.
Owning a dog can have many mental and physical health benefits. There has been quite a bit of research in recent years about the physical health benefits including the ability of dogs to detect certain types of illnesses using their sense of smell. Dogs have an acute sense of smell that is far better than that of humans. In fact, a dog has between one hundred and twenty five to three hundred million scent glands as compared to just around five million in an adult human.
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There is some definite truth to the old saying that laughter is the best medicine. It certainly has benefits for peoples mental and emotional well-being. A 2006 report by Robin Maria Valeri (Valeri, 2006), entitled Tails of Laughter, illustrates how laughter can positively impact relationships between two people and suggests that there is a strong social component to laughter . The study was conducted to examine the daily relationship between pet ownership and laughter. In the study 95 individuals, who were divided into four groups, dog owners, cat owners, those who owned both, and those who owned neither a cat nor a dog. The participants, for one day, kept a laughter log where they recorded the frequency and source of their laughter throughout that day. The results showed that the most frequent source of laughter was spontaneous resulting from a situation or incident involving a pet. Individuals who owned both a cat and dog reported the highest amount of laughter with those who owned just dogs coming in second. Those who owned just a cat or no pet at all reported the least amount of laughter. Jennifer Welsh, a staff writer for LiveScience, (Welsh, 2011) talks about the emotional and social support that dogs can give their owners in her article Puppy Love: Owners are happier, healthier. She references a statement by a University of Ohio researcher that pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more conscientious, tended to be more physically fit and less lonely, and that they more extroverted and were less likely to be fearful. In the study they surveyed 217 people to determine the differences between those who did and did not own pets. They concluded that those who owned pets were happier, healthier and better adjusted than those who did not own a pet. In the second part of the
Laughter is a very complex process. We don’t ever think about it, but our bodies can use up to 80 muscles. Meanwhile, body structures and systems of the brain, such as the limbic system are hard at work also. Although it is a rather difficult method, whenever our body produces laughter, it helps us in more ways than just one. It can help us physically by releasing endorphins, lowering the chances of heart attacks, and even our immune system. It can help us both mentally and socially as well, building great relationships and by releasing stress. If the human race did not laugh, more and more people would die of things such as heart disease or even depression. Most people can agree, without laughter, our world would be a much darker place. It’d definitely be an unhealthy society.
...an-use-pet-therapy-to-care-for-their-loved-one/ Cutt, Hayley, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew Knuiman, Valerie Burke. “Dog Ownership, Health and PhysicalActivity:ACritical Review of the Literature.” Health & Place 13.1 (2007): 261-272.
There are many advantages to having a dog as a pet to help mental health. When one does not want to get up and face the day a dog can usually make them happy with their unconditional love and their need for the owner’s attention. A person’s mood is lifted when they go outside to play with their dog since the sun and fresh air wakes them up and makes them a little happier. The sun also has Vitamin D that helps with some mental and physical health issues such as; Depression, cancer, obesity, heart attacks. When one goes outside they are in nature and looking around and being in nature usually makes them calm. Taking a pet dog for a walk gets one up and about. Someone who takes their pet dog for walks gets them into a routine of going for walks or runs and it keeps them physically healthy. This also makes them
Having a dog can be a great experience for people who enjoy their company. These animals are usually friendly and active; they are intelligent and can develop a strong relationship with their owners based on love and care. However, having dogs is a big responsibility for the person who owns them, because they are animals, so they cannot support themselves. Dogs need someone who can feed them, give them love, and someone who can help them exercise. Moreover, these animals need big spaces in order to run and develop their muscles, so the owner has to know that he needs to take a walk with the dog several times a day.
Is laughter health-promoting? Do cross-generations have different views on which types of laughter are more health beneficial than others? Is laughter done behind a hand equal to laughter done with the head thrown back and the mouth wide open? Is loud better than soft, “laughing with” better than “laughing at,” mirthful laughter better than bitter or ironic laughter? People do expect laughter to provide relief from pain and discomfort, but does the type of laughter matter in which one is more beneficial than the next? Laughter has shown physiological, psychological, social, spiritual, and quality-of-life benefits. Diana L. Mahony, W. Jeffrey Burroughs, and Louis G. Lippman teamed up to research the popular belief that laughter benefits health
An average adult tends to laugh fifteen times per day approximately; in contrast, an average child laughs three hundred to five hundred a day (Sherman, 2014). Ignoring the significant benefits that laughter causes in our lives, we dismiss the times we laugh. Those benefits have been studied since 1979 when Norman Causin, a pioneer in this field, wrote ‘‘Anatomy of an Illness’’ a book where he narrates his experience about how he used humor (laughter) and a positive attitude to relieve his own pain from his medical condition. He expressed, ‘‘I was greatly elated by the discovery that there is a physiologic basis for the ancient theory that laughter is good medicine’’ (Causin, 1979, p. 44). Causin’s theories just were the starting point of intensive
Marlo Thomas, an American actress, once said, “You know, there’s endorphins in laughter, as there are endorphins in running in the park.” There are many health benefits of laughter some may be short term while others are long. There are some that help relieve stress and some that can improve a person’s immune system, blood-sugar levels, relaxation, and sleep. Is laughter really the best medicine?
Not only does laughter benefit you physiologically but also psychologically. Thomas Crook, PhD, a clinical psychologist and CEO of Cognitive Research Corp states, “Humor is not just a silly
They say that a dog is a man’s best friend, but they don’t tell you about the overall cost, responsibility, or convenience of adopting one. Dogs are supposed to bring so much joy to a household, but sometimes they can only fill a void for a short amount of time. When a dog owner buys a dog, do they actually research the things that they are about to get into? When I bought my dog, Skye, I never really looked into issues; I just looked at the benefits. I love Skye to death, and I guess I could say that she also loves me to death.
A dog can give you a constant companion, and can greatly reduce stress in your life. Pet owners often have better health, get sick less often and report having less stress than those who don't own pets. As you get older, it's important to consider your health more and more. Dogs are a great choice for seniors who feel isolated or who have recently lost a love one; the addition of a dog to your life can greatly ease the pain and suffering you may have gone through and do wonders to fill the void.
Over 71 million American households (62%) have a pet, and most people think of their pets as members of the family. Some research studies have found that people who have a pet have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer visits to the doctor, get more exercise, and are less depressed. Pets may also have a significant impact on allergies, asthma, social support, and social interactions with other people (Casciotti) .
“A dog is a man’s best friend” goes much deeper than the phrase might initially imply. Recently many medical journals have begun to identify with the many and varied benefits of pet ownership. Men have always relied upon animals for work, transportation, and survival. As times have changed, man has begun to appreciate a different bond with animals. Gone are the days of animals running free outside around the homestead, for now animals are allowed inside and are considered by many to be an integral part of our daily lives! Medical studies have found that animals have a much greater intelligence level than originally thought. Through proper training and experience, animals are not only household pets, but also are becoming an accepted form of medical treatment.
Someone once said, “Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place with curators in museums; others we take for walks.” Dogs are not only loved by just ordinary people, but they are very loved by those who have mental problems. Having a dog helps ease mental problems as the people take the dogs for walks and care for them, in which causes them to not have time to worry about their own problems, but instead think about the dog and it's needs. Dogs benefit people with many different mental health issues. Dogs help people who suffer through depression.
Having a dog as a pet help the owner stay connected with the social life. The owner needs to bring their pet go out for exercise, take the pet to visit the pet groomer and also having the veterinary checkups for their pet. All of these need the owner to communicate with others and involved themselves in the social activities. [1] Besides that, people can get more friends with those who having the same habit which is taking their pet go out for some exercise and activities.
Would you like to live a happy and productive life? Then get pets! I must admit it is hard to believe that domesticated animals can promote mental and physical health, but many studies have shown that they can. People who own pets have been known to lead longer and happier lives than those without them. As we get older, we become less active. The more inactive we become, the higher our risk of death. We therefore need something in our lives to keep us busy so we don’t die prematurely, and a pet is just the thing to do it. This is probably because of the companionship, exercise, and responsibility that they provide. On the other hand, you must find a pet that is compatible with you or with your life style. Maintaining good mental health is crucial for living a normal life.