There is a good reason why dogs have earned the reputation of being man’s best friend. A dog can provide a person with irreplaceable friendship and companionship. Dogs are highly empathic and tend to show a caring nature, which can be of great help to a person recovering from physical or psychological trauma. This has given dogs a major role in various therapeutic practices. Trained therapy dogs help individuals along their recovery process. Thanks to the close link between one’s psychological and physical health, the company of a dog also bring about certain health benefits.
How does owning a dog improve your health?
The company of a dog can benefit your psychological and physical health in a number of ways. In general, owning a dog would help you live happier, grow fitter, and manage stress better. Some of the key benefits of having a close relationship with a dog are:
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Lower triglyceride levels
- Lower blood pressure
- Decreased depression and loneliness
- Increased opportunities to socialize
- Increased opportunities for outdoor activities and exercising
Do dogs help with blood pressure?
A growing number of people have started adopting pets as a strategy to combat high blood pressure. Several studies have shown that the company of a dog can significantly lower’s blood pressure. As a part of one such research, a group of patients suffering from borderline hypertension adopted a pet while another didn’t. The group that did bring home pets displayed much lower systolic blood pressure within a few months.
Can dogs make you feel better?
It is no secret that the companionship of a pet dog can make you feel better. Apart from the psychological impact, several neurological are responsible for this too. Petting a dog and building a close relationship results in the formation of increased levels of cortisol, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. These hormones together reduce stress to a great extent and help to make the individual feel happy. This can be of extreme help while trying to recover from psychological trauma. The stress-relieving effect is a key reason why dogs often find application in therapies.
How do dogs help your heart?
The benefits that a dog can have on your cardiac health deserve special mention. Studies have repeatedly shown that pet owners have lower risks of developing cardiovascular diseases. This is due to a number of effects that a pet dog would have on you. For instance, high blood pressure is a key reason behind diseases in the heart and dogs help to maintain the blood pressure at lower levels. Walking your dog outdoors also gives you opportunities for outdoor activities and exercises, alongside the cardiac health benefits that walking offers. The lower stress levels too are extremely beneficial for the heart.
How does a dog help you get more social?
When you own a dog, you would have to take it outdoors for walks. This not only brings you close to new acquaintances but also attracts people to you. This is simply because many people feel more comfortable talking to a stranger walking a dog. At times when an individual needs emotional help, building social interactions and relations can be extremely beneficial.
How do animals help kids with autism?
Autism is one of the diseases that do not have a cure. Hence, people suffering from autism have no choice but to cope and live with it. However, pet therapy has proven to be effective in helping autistic individuals. Friendly and social pets such as dogs assist autistic individuals in managing their emotions better and even build better communication skills. Therapy dogs play a great role in supporting positive social interactions by acting as peers.
Is a dog good for a child?
The companionship of dogs also benefits children to a great extent. Apart from the joy and emotional benefits, children learn to be responsible and empathetic when they have a pet dog. Children who grow up with a pet also tend to develop greater self-esteem. Another unusual benefit for children is that having a pet dog greatly reduces the risk of suffering from allergies.
While many parents fear that staying close to an animal would lead to diseases and allergies, the reality is quite the opposite. Babies growing up with a pet dog have lower chances of suffering from ear infections and colds in the first year. Such children are also less likely to suffer from asthma or allergies when they grow up.
How reading aloud to therapy dogs can help struggling kids?
Therapy dogs also have a unique benefit for children struggling to learn. In many cases, the issue lies in the fact that the children lack confidence. However, a trained therapy dog would be cooperative around children. This allows kids to read aloud privately to dogs, without having to worry about any negative reactions. In case the cause behind the learning difficulties is a major psychological trauma, a therapy dog can help the child by providing it with the necessary emotional support.
What do we do at K9 Reading Buddies?
At K9 Reading Buddies, we hold therapy dog literacy programs for children of various age groups. Thus, if your child is struggling to learn at school, canine friends would help them out. Each of our therapy dogs has received adequate training and is calm and friendly around children. Numerous kids have already benefited from reading out to their canine friends here. The dog handlers, too, are extremely well-trained and help the children with any difficulties that they might face.
One of the key advantages of sending your child to a therapy dog literacy program is that they enjoy the benefits of having a pet dog as a learning companion, without the responsibility. This makes the program extremely beneficial for kids who cannot have a pet at home or cannot afford to take good care of it. You may fill up this form to contact us if you feel interested in our learning programs or have any queries. Our team would take care to assist you in every way necessary.