The idea of a puppy makes most people smile; but do you know the physical benefits of dogs for humans? Dogs are capable of doing some truly amazing things that may leave you shocked. They can help protect our country by sniffing out bombs and helping soldiers navigate war zones. Another thing dogs can do is they can track people down for miles and find drugs hidden in the most secretive places. Dogs can even navigate the world for the vision and hearing impaired. Some are even trained to sense anxiety attacks hours before they occur. In many ways dogs have a stronger grasp on the world than humans do. Dogs can help humans of all ages to live a happy, healthy, and full life.       

The question I care to answer is, what can dogs do for the average person? What are the positive effects of owning a dog for someone who is not a soldier with PTSD, or a visually impaired or hearing-impaired member in society, or someone with severe anxiety or depression? Every year about 735,000 Americans alone suffer from a heart attack. Dogs have proven to help humans recover from heart attacks at a faster pace than those who attempted a recovery without a dog by their side. These animals are also proven to help reduce stress better than most human companions where as human connection is actually proven to increase stress in many cases. Dogs of all sizes, shapes, breeds, and colors can help humans live a happy and healthy lifestyle with a clear mindset and positive outlook on the world.

Now let’s talk about the physical benefits of owning a dog. Dogs much like humans need daily exercise to stay healthy and prevent conditions like diabetes. Dog owners are proven to be more active as a result, dog owners are proven to have less obesity, healthier body’s, and healthier minds. Examples can include daily walks, runs, and hikes, as well as more mellow play such as tug of war and fetch. Dogs can also naturally lower cholesterol through stress relief and daily exercise. It is even proven that pet owners have better mobility in their retirement years. In all dog owners are proven to life healthier and more physically active lives.     

Lastly, I want to touch upon the benefits of owning a dog or using dog as a form of therapy for the youth. Dogs trained for therapy purposes or average dogs as pets are proven to raise self-esteem as well as comfort children. The current teenage generation is riddled with depression and anxiety, an estimated 3.1 million adolescents from ages 12 to 17 have been diagnosed with depression, this makes up about 13% of the US population. While that percent may sound small many students with depression or anxiety will not seek help and therefore will not receive a diagnosis. Whether this depression riddled generation branches from the pressure we put on ourselves or being drowned in a technology filled world twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, dogs can still help our adolescent population. Dogs can help our future scientists, engineers, mechanics, lawyers, doctors, and teachers; they help the youth cope with the damaging affects of depression and anxiety, while raising self-esteem. A dog gives you something to come home to and something to wake up for when you feel like you have no one; a feeling much too common in the current youth and teen population. Whether dogs are trained to perform therapeutic tasks such as pressure therapy or are just domestic pets they can help our youth rise from the ashes of our mental struggles.         

Overall, dogs benefit all aspects of life for humans whether the dog has been trained for therapeutic work, hunting, or just a domestic pet, they add so much more to the human life. Dogs have the ability of being so much more than just pets; they are friends. They have the ability to help many humans function and therefore play a large role in the behavior of humans around the world. They save lives in battle and lives in everyday life; they navigate the world for the hearing and vision impaired and for the average human. Dogs create a happy, healthy, and full life for so many humans in society.