He waits patiently at your front door with his big brown eyes staring intensely at the doorknob, waiting for it to turn signalling your arrival. Before you even get your foot through the door, he greets you with a big hug and kiss. You’ve been on his mind all day.
Photo courtesy of Gigi's
Coraline and Josh
While he may steal bites of your food, make messes he doesn’t clean and take up most of your bed at night, you know no one in the world loves you more than he does.
I’m not talking about your romantic partner, but your loyal canine companion. And, Americans love dogs just as much as their dogs love them.
There are an estimated 65 million dog owners in the U.S., almost half of all households. Many dog owners spend thousands of dollars a year on keeping their pups happy and healthy and often consider their dogs to be as important, or even more important to them, than their human family members.
Our immense love for dogs may be attributed to the physical, mental, emotional and social health benefits they can provide. Or it may just be that endearing tail wag and playful bark, you decide.
Helping Paws
There are many ways therapy and service dogs can help us. Here are just some of the tasks dogs can complete in order to help their owner achieve a greater quality of life.
- Diabetic alerts
- Guide the visually or auditory impaired
- Retrieve objects, open doors, press automatic door buttons and turn on lights
- Detect anxiety and offer support
- Seizure alerts
- Allergen detection
- Unload groceries, do laundry
- Bracing assistance
- Interrupt nightmares or flashbacks
What dogs are thought to make the best service dogs?
- Labrador/Golden Retriever
- Poodle
- German Shepard
- Great Dane
Physical health
While some dogs are more active than others, all dogs need exercise and stimulation every day, just like humans. When a dog’s owner knows their furry friend wants to play, it can motivate them to get on their feet and get moving.
A 2019 study, conducted in a British community, found that dog owners spent significantly more minutes per week exercising compared to participants who didn’t own a dog. Whether it’s taking them for a walk around the neighborhood, throwing a ball in the park, or chasing each other in the backyard, these activities can raise your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness over time.
Photo courtesy of Canine Companions
Canine Companions Bridge
Canine Companions volunteer therapy dog handler and evaluator, Jane Nolan, says dogs can even aid in a human’s physical rehabilitation.
“You're more likely to throw a ball and get movement in your arms and your shoulders for a dog than just being in a physical therapy room throwing it against the wall,” she says.
The health benefits don’t stop at exercise, owning a dog has been known to reduce stress which is a contributing factor in many diseases and is considered overall detrimental to your health. By reducing stress, you can get better sleep, improve your digestion and boost your immune system, as well as lower your risk of heart attacks and obesity.
For those with physical disabilities, dogs can have an even greater impact on their health. Service dogs and therapy dogs receive specialized training and learn skills to assist humans with various needs.
Trained therapy dogs have even been present during medical procedures to help lower a patient’s blood pressure and help them relax.
Canine Companions in New Albany raises, trains and helps place service dogs with those who need them. Emily Oliver, a public relations and marketing coordinator at Canine Companions, says it is rewarding to see the individuals who have received service dogs thriving with the help of their companion.
“We have a client who has limited mobility, maybe there is a power wheelchair and they drop items on a fairly regular basis, this dog is going to be very in tune with their handler and be able to understand what that person is looking for so that person can communicate with the dog and the dog can retrieve the item,” Oliver says.
Running buddy or cuddle bug?
A dog’s breed, age and health can help determine just how much exercise they might need. Here are some breeds known to be energetic busybodies or total couch potatoes.
Most active breeds:
Australian Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Siberian Husky
Weimaraner
Doberman Pinscher
Less active breeds:
Japanese Chin
Basset Hound
English Bulldog
Pekingese
Chihuahua
Mental health
Photo courtesy of Canine Companion
Prothesis Retrieve RGB Canine Companions
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression are all common mental health illnesses that can be debilitating to a person’s life. Along with traditional therapy and medication, therapy dogs have been a tool professionals use to help alleviate symptoms for those struggling with mental health decline.
Veterans who have been wounded mentally during their military service have seen huge improvements in their mental health after receiving a service dog. Clients who are given a service dog through Canine Companions report that their dogs help them gain confidence, reduce their anxiety, establish a healthy routine and feel a greater sense of purpose.
“I never realized how little sleep I was getting until Fritter (my service dog) came into my life. Fritter’s warm personality and sweet demeanor provide a sense of calm, interrupting my anxiety before it escalates. I am building confidence in our ability to go out as a team in public. Fritter has given me a second chance at life,” Rob Garlick, a veteran and Canine Companion client says.
Adults and children on the autism spectrum have also benefited from owning service dogs. Having their service dog with them can help foster better communication and social interactions, prevent meltdowns and help them feel safe and cared for.
“There’s just no judgment in the eyes of that dog, regardless of what you do, what you look like, how you think, once they have that bond that's hard to match,” Meghan Herron, Senior Director of Behavioral Medicine, Education, and Outreach at Gigi’s, a dog shelter that offers veterinary and behavior care and adoption services in central Ohio, says.
Specially trained dogs aren’t the only ones who can have mental health benefits for the humans around them.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll found that more than 85 percent of dog owners who participated in the study say their dogs have a significantly positive impact on their mental health.
Emotional health
How we feel emotionally is also an important aspect of our overall health to consider. One emotion that dogs show best is love, something those struggling emotionally need to heal and function throughout their daily lives.
When Nolan lived in Dallas with her therapy dog Maddie, they would frequently take trips to the children’s hospital to uplift the patients. One patient, a young girl who was injured in a car accident that killed both her parents, was feeling emotionally closed off and didn’t seem motivated to improve. Through frequent visits with Maddie and another therapy dog named Jack, she was able to find some stability and recover.
“They just don't take no for an answer,” Nolan says. “They nudge you, they push you and she didn't want to get out of bed for a long time but the dogs would just get in bed with her and nudge her elbow saying ‘let's do this, come on let's play’ and even if she would just pet them, it’s a start.”
Dogs can also help to improve a person’s emotional health by encouraging them to be more social.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me they’re more socially active because the dog is a conversation piece and so even for their social well-being it gets them out and about and talking to people more, helping them interact more with the community,” Herron says.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
