I'm always nagging my parents about getting a dog, or even any pet besides a fish. Whenever I see one of my friends with a dog, I'm automatically triggered. My mom's excuse is always: "Dogs are scary and they will bite your baby brother." and my dad's is: "No one would take care of it and pick up its poop." However, the benefits of having a dog outweigh the costs by far.
1. Cancer Detection
This is the most interesting fact I've figured out. Who doesn't want a cute, automatic cancer detector? No doctor necessary. Because of their amazing sense of smell and caution for danger, dogs can sniff out even the smallest signs of danger. Furthermore, they can also smell blood and notice a cut that you didn't even know you had.
2. Stress Reliever
No, you are not allowed to punch your dog to relieve stress. Petting or playing with your dog releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter associated with happiness. Now you feel like life is more worth living than before. Less stress also means lower blood pressure, which will reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, being more happy(or less sad) improves your overall health and self-esteem. Next time you have a test the next day, grab a dog, pet it, and your stress level automatically goes down.
3. Service Animal
Not only can your dog make you happy, but they can also relieve the stress of others. Additionally, they can be trained to detect incoming illnesses and help people with disabilities cope with life. At home, dogs take careful guard and protect you from possible intruders. If they sense anything odd, they will alert the owner, though some of the dogs I know bark at any incoming human, or just anything that moves.
4. Responsibility
Remember my dad claiming that I wouldn't be able to take care of it? Well, that's the whole point of taking care of a dog. Certainly, having a dog will make me for responsible and committed, not the other way around. Who cares if I have to go around following my dog and picking up poop? It's a great way to get a nerd like me to go outside and exercise.
Being a person who has always been begging for a dog and being constantly rejected, I want to prove that dogs are adorable, fun pets (unlike fish) that can make me a better person (In fact, the opposite effect is achieved). I will now shove all this evidence in front of my parents' faces.
