Black Labrador Retriever Lotte
By Black Labrador Lotte
Found on Flickr
Made available for re-use under a creative commons license.

It's a proven fact that just by petting a dog creates a friendly and comfortable environment which can lower blood pressure.

Having a pet dog can lower lower stress levels, lower blood pressure and also even lower your heart rate.

A Chinese study found that people who own dogs get better sleep at night and are sick less often. Other studies show pet owners have slightly lower cholesterol and are more likely to survive a heart attack.

The Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of health have conducted studies that proved pet owners have decreased blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels than people without a pet.




Tired Suzanne
By Karen
Found on Flickr
Made available for re-use under a creative commons license.

That brings me to my next point..
While other pets have positive effects on your health as well, dogs have the added benefit of needing to be walked and played with numerous times a day. This means most dog owners get the recommended minimum 30 minutes of exercise a day, lowering their risk of cardiovascular disease and keeping them in better overall shape than cat owners or people without pets.





U.S. Pacific Fleet
By LSIS Andrew Dakin
Found on Flickr
Made available for re-use under a creative commons license.

Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than non-pet owners.
Dogs provide unconditional love and a constant companion that loves you more than it loves himself.
Your pet dog actually thinks of you as its family, like you're one of his pack members.
You'll never be lonely when you have a big ball of fur waiting for you to come each day.








"A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself."
By Brianne
Found on Flickr
Made available for re-use under a creative commons license.