1. Dogs make people happy.
Studies show that spending time with your dog increases levels of both serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which are neurotransmitters pertaining to joy, happiness and calmness. If you spend just ten to 30 minutes with your dog, whether you’ve had a bad day or not, your mood will drastically increase.
2. Dogs improve your physical health.
Not only do dogs require physical activity, but so do you! Owning a dog comes with the responsibility to play with and exercise your dog, which goes hand in hand with dog owners becoming more active.
3. Dogs are a good home security device.
What bad guy is going to break into your house and have a dog break the silence and get themselves caught? None. Clearly, dogs shouldn’t be the only way you go about protecting your home, but they do provide some peace of mind.
4. Dogs can help you make friends.
For those of you who have dogs, you know that just going for a walk can result in both you and your dog making friends. My dog always pulls me to the nearest dog and owner duo when I take her for a walk, and it’s not uncommon for other dogs to come up to us to say hello!
5. There’s never a dull moment when you own a dog.
From those random bouts of energy where your dog runs around your house like a maniac, to your dog stealing your dinner right off the table, there is never a boring moment if you have a dog. Personally, my dog loves to swipe sticks of butter off of the counter, which ends up in me chasing her around the house to take it away from her.
6. Dogs are kind.
Dogs have an increased sense of hearing, smell and sight. Because of this, they can easily detect the way their owner is feeling through their body language and emotions. This way, they can tell when their owner needs some cheering up.
7. They don’t care if you can cook or not.
Dogs will be happy with anything you feed them, and it doesn’t matter if you won "Iron Chef America" or not. They love you for you, and don’t care if the chicken you attempted to make is burned, or if the steak you tried so hard to grill tastes horrible.
8. Dogs can do tricks.
You can teach a dog to roll over, sit and give you his or her paw, but you can’t do that with cats. Or bunnies. Or fish. But if you use treats, you can make a dog do anything.
9. Dogs can decrease your blood pressure.
Studies show that owning a dog can positively affect your blood pressure. Simply petting and snuggling with your dog is proven to lower your levels of stress, which also lowers your blood pressure.
10. Dogs are man’s (and woman’s) best friend.
Your dog loves spending time with you just as much as you love spending time with them. Dogs are happy no matter what you do or who you are. They don’t care how old you are, if you’re a boy or a girl, or what color your skin is. As long as you show them the same amount of love that you give them, they’ll love you unconditionally as long as the both of you live.
