What Are the Health Benefits of Owning a Dog?

Regular physical exercise prevents the development of numerous pathologies, significantly reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and cancer mortality. Regular physical exercise is considered an effective treatment for numerous chronic conditions, including depression, hypertension, cognitive decline, osteoarthritis, and type 2 diabetes.

Physical inactivity is reported as the second most important cardiovascular risk factor, right after incorrect diet. Physical activity comes before dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, obesity, thrombosis, smoking, renal dysfunction, and genetic or familial hypercholesterolemia.

Therefore, it is an acknowledged fact that health is closely related to physical activity, to the point that guidelines recommend physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week. But less than one third of people to whom physical activity is recommended engage in it, and only 20% achieve the goal.

People who have a dog have a fourfold greater chance of meeting the physical activity guidelines than those who do not have a dog. In fact, dog owners are forced to walk to take care of their dogs, and this factor is strongly associated with a lower risk for CVD and death (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.73-0.80).

Cardiovascular Health Benefits

Having a dog positively influences blood pressure (BP). Lower average BP values are found in dog owners than in individuals in a control population, as well as a reduced risk for hypertension (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49-0.80). Confounding factors, such as age and body weight, can influence this association, however. In a study on post–myocardial infarction patients with asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias, dog owners had a significantly lower probability of dying within 1 year than those who did not own a dog.

Longitudinal studies conducted on adults before and after owning a dog suggested that dog owners become more active, and this finding has recently been confirmed in children.

Psychological Effects

Among the numerous psychosocial benefits associated with owning a dog are stress reduction and improved mood and emotional state. Having a dog can reduce depression and yield positive effects on the well-being of certain subgroups of the general population, particularly single individuals, women, children, and older adults experiencing the loss of a spouse or a divorce.

The use of specially trained service dogs has been associated with the conventional treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, in addition to conventional treatment with psychotherapy and drugs. This combined treatment leads to a significant reduction in related symptoms, a reduction in depression, and increased social participation.

In some social contexts, dogs have become a central part of family life and are considered family members. The attachment relationship between the owner and their dog can be functionally similar to that observed between a parent and a child. This type of a relationship shows behavioral and neuroendocrine similarities to the one described for mothers and children, especially in terms of oxytocin and cortisol levels, present in both dogs and their owners and associated with their interaction style.

Research on the brain activity mechanisms related to the effects of human-animal interaction is still in its early stages. One study evaluated, through EEG, the brain waves in the prefrontal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes of individuals during various activities with a dog and correlated them with a subjective assessment of their emotions. EEG tracings in healthy individuals interacting with a dog documented alpha power spectra indicating relaxation and brain rest state that significantly increased when playing with and walking the dog. Conversely, a significant increase in beta power spectra was observed during massage, grooming, and play activities with the dog, indicating better concentration in the absence of stress. Furthermore, feeding, massaging, and hugging the dog were activities related to a positive effect on participants’ moods, with low stress levels in all activities.

Other Considerations

Recommending dog ownership can lead to several health benefits, although it is advisable to emphasize the following considerations:

• Having a dog means a commitment for 10-15 years.
• Most people outlive their dogs.
• Older adult patients with comorbidities should make plans for the care of their animals when they can no longer care for them directly.
• Dogs quickly become family members, and their passing can provoke mourning that is as stressful as the loss of a relative is.
• The dog generates well-documented benefits for a person’s physical and mental health.

This story was translated from Univadis Italy, which is part of the Medscape professional network, using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.