The National Pet Owners Survey reports that 67% of US households own a pet, which translates to about 85 million families. From this number, the most owned pet is a dog, which is not surprising due to the numerous benefits dogs provide. Below, we discuss 10 good reasons to get a dog and why your family should join the millions of homeowners with pups for pets.
Dogs Make People Happy
Imagine waking up to a gleeful face every time you open your eyes and having an escort walk you down the hallway to start the day. This is the life of dog owners, making this the first of our 10 good reasons to get a dog. Having a dog allows you to have a positive mindset from the minute you wake up, ensuring that you face every day head-on.
Dog owners also benefit from the human-animal bond that dogs provide, which helps create links that last beyond the physical attributes, nurturing emotions, and connections that last a lifetime. With this, you can count on a cheerful countenance every time you see your dog, whether you are relaxing on your deck under an awning or simply taking a walk. Dogs also love pleasing family members and will often prefer taking part in activities that their owners love. This will allow you to enjoy each part of their lives as days go by while they also do the same for you, making them a positive addition to your life.
Dogs Provide Companionship
When you lack someone to talk to, or your family members feel isolated, dogs can offer a listening ear, keeping you company during such need. They will sit with you and stay calm as your pour out your problems to them without any judgment. While they will not respond, they will give you a soothing environment to let out any worries and reward you with cuddles that make everything better. Dogs can also pick up on your mood when you are upset and try to cheer you by nudging you to participate in activities that excite you. With this, your family will never experience loneliness when you have a dog as your best friend throughout the years.
In addition to this, they can be instrumental when you have ailing family members left alone at home when you are out working. Dogs will often not leave ailing individuals as a show of companionship, ensuring they have someone waiting on them to help them with any urgent need. They also act as support companions for people with physical challenges, helping them get around public places to ensure they are kept from harm’s way at all times and that they get back home safe. If any of your family members fall under either of these categories, it’s a good reason to get a dog.
Your Family Can Work Together to Train the Pup
Dogs work with a laid-down routine to keep them happy and well-behaved, and this requires all family members to chip in to the new dog care activities. Your home chores will especially become more detailed when you get a pup, as they generally come with a bit more responsibility. This means splitting time between the kids and parents to train the pup, such as teaching him/her to not climb on baby bedroom furniture, and with feeding, exercising, and grooming.
The benefit of this is that it will allow your family to have more structure in your schedules, making for a better team in the end. Having a dog will also allow your family to get involved in more dog duties, making this an additional tip on our list of 10 good reasons to get a dog. Among these includes looking into options for protection, with dog bite attorneys coming in handy here if your dog comes into contact with a mean animal. With this, your family will work together and grow closer.
Your Children Will Learn Responsibility
Taking care of dogs also presents a great opportunity for children to learn responsibility from an early age. Depending on the dog you get, various breeds will require different formulated feeds and grooming habits. Learning such aspects exposes your child to different life responsibilities, allowing them to understand that interactions with people will also call for various handling situations. They will also learn about the importance of regular vet checks, an aspect that reflects into their own lives. Your children may be able to take on more important responsibilities around the house, such as booking their own appointments at the local family dentistry.
In addition to this, kids also learn values such as consistency, which is a crucial part of dog training. By giving instructions and learning various commands and rewards, children learn to practice patience and consistency in the process. Living with a new family member will also mean that they get to practice extra caution in their surroundings and living areas, as dogs need clean spaces to stay healthy. Through this, they can clean after the dogs to avoid accumulating dog hair that could lead to clogged drains and the importance of boundaries in the house to ensure your dog is safe from chemicals that could harm them.
More Opportunities to Socialize
Dogs are social beings, and it is only natural that they will occasionally warm up to strangers and other pet owners during your morning or evening strolls. When this happens, you will likely exchange a few pleasantries with other people, allowing you to have more interactions than you normally would when walking alone.
Introverted people can especially benefit from such exchanges more than their extroverted counterparts, with pets acting as common grounds and icebreakers in conversations. If you have shy teenagers at home, consider this an essential tip of our 10 good reasons to get a dog. Your dog will go a long way in helping your introverted family members open up and gain confidence in approaching and engaging with other people.
More Opportunities for Exercise
Sixth on our list of 10 good reasons to get a dog is they will keep you fit. Dogs love playing and moving around, which will also come naturally to you once you have one for a pet. Exercise is a recommended part of owning a dog, as it helps them stay happy and healthy. It also allows them to have good mental health, which could leave them with behavioral problems or additional issues, such as obesity. Taking your dog for daily walks will form a crucial part of your day, an area that will allow you to get increased exercise. More exercise means lower blood pressure and cholesterol in your family, helping you cut down on unnecessary hospital visits. This also means that you can finally find a reason to load up in the family’s used Escape and get in more walks at new and exciting places in your town or city.
More Opportunities to Get Outside and Move
Another of our 10 good reasons to get a dog is the opportunity to explore the outdoors. Apart from the everyday walks, dogs also love various forms of entertainment, from swimming to taking road trips and learning new tricks. Based on your interests, you can plan a trip that allows you to have your share of fun while your dog also enjoys the open air. These can include taking hikes, an area that will also allow your dog to enjoy sniffing away at the different smells of nature.
Adventure seekers will especially love this addition on our list of 10 good reasons to get a dog, as they can take part in their former activities as much as they love to. This means that you no longer have to reduce your backpacking trips, as most destinations allow dog owners to take their dogs with them on their trips. Dogs are much more capable of enduring such outdoor activities than other pets, meaning they will not slow you down during your vacation getaways.
In addition to this, you can also sign up your dog for various events, with dog shows being a good place to start. Depending on your dog’s breed, you can enroll them in any dog categories that often comprise the sporting group, non-sporting, herding, and toy group, among others. Your dog may have exceptional talent in a certain area, making them a good fit for participation in these events. Ask your family members of their opinion on other opportunities most suited to your dog to ensure they get their share of the fun as well.
Less Stress in the Home
Every time you cuddle your dog, your body releases oxytocin. Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that helps calm your nervous system, allowing you to experience relief and relaxation during moments of anxiety. This especially comes in handy when you have loved ones who have anxiety or depression, making this a top contender in our list of 10 good reasons to get a dog. Such family members can benefit from dog cuddle sessions with a dog around, helping them keep calm in stressful situations. In addition to this, oxytocin helps you to trust more, a factor that will work well for family members in these scenarios.
Petting dogs has also been linked to reducing cortisol, which is referred to as the stress hormone. This means that during moments of increased pressure, such as when dealing with ongoing repairs that require exceptional construction services, a dog will be your best bet in helping you relax. Studies also show that taking your dog to work will help you experience less stress, so consider taking this up when possible.
Have Some Home Security
While dogs are good companions, they can also provide some home security, acting as an additional measure in preventing any theft in your house. Alarm systems are only good at alerting you when your intruder is already in the house. Still, your dog will alert you once they suspect any suspicious activity outside, making them a much more comprehensive security measure. Based on the problem at hand, a dog will either attack the intruder or alert you when someone messes with your garage door opener, making this another of our 10 good reasons to get a dog. This will allow you to act before any harm occurs to your family.
In addition to intruder attacks, dogs can alert you when your fire sprinkler is triggered without your knowledge, protecting you from risks such as fire hazards. This means you get to enjoy their fast response and security not just from external attacks but internal risks that could pose harm to your family.
A Common Goal for the Family: Taking Care of the Dog
Having a common goal such as taking care of a dog is one way to unite the entire family, making it another one of the 10 good reasons to get a dog. Among the benefits of this is fewer family arguments, as dogs will often need care during various intervals of the day. Numerous dog owners have been found to utilize a coordinated and rotational schedule while taking care of their pet, an aspect that may come in handy for your family as well. Here, you can decide who falls as the primary caretaker with other duties distributed to other family members on an hourly or weekly basis.
Sharing a common goal also means that your family enjoys constant communication, as it generally means having to set rules and enforce them for consistency to develop. For this, you will be required to make decisions such as where the dog sleeps and the various rooms that are off-limits for them. Additionally, you also get to pick out new routines as a family, such as utilizing floor care services to accommodate your dog’s new sleeping areas.
If you do not have a dog in your home, the above benefits are what you are missing out on. A dog will allow you to explore and experience different sides of your family that may have been amiss for years. So, head over to your nearest adoption shelter for a new addition to your family.
