My household has four dogs: two black and white ones, a tan one, and one with brassy fur that looks like a dye job gone wrong. It can be chaotic and loud…but it is never boring. Just sitting and watching how four dogs, each with very different personalities, interact with each other is beyond entertaining. Calm is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you picture a house with four dogs, but it is surprising just how often our dogs pull us out of a bad mood. Each of my kids falls asleep at night with a dog at the foot of their bed. The dogs’ steady breath seems to lull them to sleep. When they are afraid of nightmares, we pretend that the dogs “eat” their bad dreams.
Once when my son was having a particularly bad day, we heard a strange splash/crash noise and ran upstairs to find one of our dogs swimming around in the bathtub. Apparently, he fell in while trying to get a drink of water (don’t worry, we don’t make a habit of leaving tubs full of water). My son laughed so hard he forgot why he was upset. We have many times like this in our house. While my kids know our dogs are funny and help them sleep, the value of these animals goes way beyond what our kids understand. If you are reading this post, you probably don’t need to be convinced that dogs are great, but here are some interesting benefits of owning a dog (or four):
- Reduced Cortisol. Studies have shown that pet owners showed a significant decrease in cortisol (“the stress hormone”) levels after interacting with a dog for 5-20 minutes, regardless of whether it is their own dog or an unfamiliar dog. [i]
- Lower blood pressure. Contact with a dog, such as by petting the dog, has been shown to reduce blood pressure in both children and adults during stressful situations.
- The potential for increased learning. Some studies have suggested that children followed directions and showed better memory in the presence of a dog. Other studies show that children read better and are more motivated when reading to a dog.[ii]
- Increased social interaction. Research has also shown positive effects on the social behavior of humans when a dog is present. People smile more and engage in friendly conversation more often with a person who is in the company of a dog.
- Reduced aggression. A few studies have shown that the presence of a friendly dog in a classroom of young students reduced aggressive behavior of the students.
- Reduced depression and improved overall mood. It has been shown that the presence of a dog, especially when there is direct contact, can reduce depression and improve mood over time.
- Increased perception of trustworthiness. In an interesting study, experimenters in the company of dogs were instructed to ask strangers for money on the street or ask young women for their phone numbers in public. The experimenters with dogs were more likely to have people comply with their requests than those experimenters without dogs.
These are only some of the many benefits of owning a dog or even just interacting with a friend’s dog. Caring for four dogs is not easy and not always “calming,” but the good far outweighs the bad. If you found this interesting, please comment, share or like. Thanks!
[i] http://accurateclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Psychosocial-and-psychophysiological-effects-of-human-animal-interactions-the-possible-role-of-oxytocin-2012.pdf
[ii] http://www.therapyanimals.org/Research_&_Results_files/Canine-visitors-the-influence-of-therapy-dog%20Aug2004.pdf
This is definitely a passion of mine, which is why I created my blog. Thanks for this post!
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Thanks for reading! I’ll check out your blog as well. I’m glad you enjoyed my post!
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I wouldn’t be without my four legged fur baby! 😃🦉
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Thanks for reading! Dogs really are like our children 😊
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Hey!
LOVE THIS POST. I’ve got many dogs at home too and I’ve been away from home for over 6 months because of University. I can’t tell you how much I miss them! The best part/biggest benefit i’ve found of having dogs are that you’ll always have someone who will love you. At the end of a long day, someone is waiting at home and is super excited to see you soon.
Keep writing, you’ve got a follower in me. 🙂
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Thank you 😊 Yes, I love coming home from a long day to be greeted by my happy dogs!
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How am I only following you now??? What an amazing post. We have a 2 year old cute mutt, her name is Rosa and she cracks me up. She’s such a good girl. She follows me around all day long. Once I was having a panic attack and she was just so worried, making all kinds of noises and trying to call my attention using her paws. It felt like she was trying to say “please don’t cry, I’m here, look at me”. I’m tearing up just writing this. We love her so much. We want to get more dogs in the future (through adoption again) for sure! Thank you for such a cute and informative post 🙂 ❤
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Thank you! Rosa sounds really sweet. It’s amazing how intuitive dogs are. More so than many people:). My dogs always know when I’m upset or not feeling well. That’s when they follow me around like they are on an invisible leash. Thanks for reading and for the follow 🙂
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No need to thank me! I mean, 3 kids and four dogs, you’re goals!! Can I ask your kids ages? I can’t wait to follow your journey and to get to know you better!!
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My kids are 4 (girl), 11 (boy) and 13 (girl), so we have a wide range of things happening in our lives! I’ve only been blogging for about 3 weeks but it has been such a great way to keep me motivated to write, and writing has been very therapeutic. I love reading your posts too, your blog is definitely one of my favorites.
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They look adorable and this is such a great post! If you ever need someone to pet sit, I wouldn’t say no to that! haha 😉
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Thank you! They definitely keep us busy 🙂
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No worries! and I bet they do 🙂
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Such a great post! your dogs are adorable and I agree, one is never enough.
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Thank you! I love watching how they get along (and sometimes get annoyed) with each other.
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Dogs are the best! So many great reasons to have them in your life. 🐾🐾🐾🐾 you are one lucky lady that you have 4!!!! 🐶🐕 I’m jealous!
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They are lots of fun, and work. Lol. They all have such different personalities, they are like little people 🙂
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😀❤️ love it!
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Reblogged this on Lincoln Life Blog.
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Great, thank you!
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My dog is a terrier type named Buster, and one of your headlines is reduced stress, this made me smile as Buster makes me stressed quite often when he digs up my flower beds.. but joking aside you are right, Buster makes a massive difference to the quality of life in my household. great post Rebbeca… Thank you.
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Haha. Thank you. Yes, sometimes our dogs can be a source of stress too with the messes they can make; but overall they reduce our stress. 🙂
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Dogs are everything….I am about to get another pooch for my home as my two senior dogs just recently passed away and a house with only one dog is a sad place…although I would be lost without my 2 year old beagle!
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I’m sorry to hear about your senior dogs, but it’s good to hear you have your beagle and that you are looking to get another one. A house full of dogs is a happy house!
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It indeed is! Now if I can pick a new dog to love is quite a fretful feat! I have scoured the internet and shelters and haven’t found “the one” yet but I continue my search with hope and anticipation for another dog to love
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Good luck with your search 🙂
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We finally found another dog for our family and he is an absolute joy!!!!!!!! May they all live another decade and a half
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