Have you ever had the pleasure of having a dog as a pet? Are you aware of the many health benefits
that owning a dog can bring? I am a bit biased I suppose because I have always loved having a dog
around the house, but I find it hard to understand why more people do not take the plunge and own a
dog. In this article I write about the ways in which a dog can help and improve people’s health.

Owning a dog can help people who are often stressed out in their life. Going out in the garden or in the
local park and throwing a ball to my dog to fetch, often brings a smile to my face. I can see my dog
wagging her tail in enjoyment as she retrieves the ball, she then drops the ball at my feet in the hope
that I will throw it again. As she runs full speed after the ball again, I just stand there in amazement at
the sheer power of her. Being somebody myself who has always struggled to cope with stress, I find this
whole experience helps me in several ways. As well as bringing the smile to my face as previously
mentioned, which of course is showing that I am happy, this game is helping me to take my mind off all
the things that I was worrying about.

When back in the house the dog shows me a lot of love and likes to cuddle up with various members of
our family on the sofa, including me of course. This makes our home so much cozier and warmer, this
itself helps in reducing the amount that I stress. The warmth and love always makes me feel better and
helps me to think in a more positive way. There is nothing worse for somebody like myself than
spending long periods on my own as this makes my mind start to wonder, I basically start to think too
much about aspects of my life and the future. This thinking is probably better described as worrying.

Taking the dog on these walks to the park is also a great form of exercise for me. I am sure that I do not
have to explain the health benefits of exercise to the readers of this article, but you can see that this is
another good reason for owning a dog. When walking the dog, the fresh air and the time away from the
house helps me to clear my mind. As an example, if my wife or children are starting to annoy or nag me,
which in turn can lead me to becoming a bit stressed, this is then the time that I will put the dog on her
lead and take her for a walk. Sometimes I do this eight times a day! I hope that when I return home that
the house will be a lot calmer and a more relaxed place to be.

As you can probably tell, I gain a lot of pleasure out of having a dog as a pet and I am sure that more
people could as well, if only they were willing to give it a try.