(Disclaimer: If you have had a traumatic experience with dogs, which is an unfortunately common experience and a completely valid one to have, this article will likely be triggering as there will be many more pictures of dogs. Read with caution.)
It has come to my attention that some people in this world do not like dogs. Now, I'm not mad. I mean, it's okay to be wrong sometimes. And I'm hoping that this article shows a little bit of exactly why anyone who hates dogs is utterly wrong. Dogs are pure, lovely creatures who are honestly too good for this world, and though we don't deserve them we must treat them like the resplendent gifts to humanity that they are (because science says they could definitely remember the lovely experiences we need to give them!). Here are X reasons why dogs are so lovely!
1. Dogs know we love them and love them back!
Meg Evens
Psychologists have shown that dogs can experience a good range of emotions! Sure, they don't get some more complex emotions like pity or guilt, but they definitely can feel love and attachment! Our good pups love us!
2. Pets lower our blood pressure and help us relax
Jillian Kelley
Pups aren't just adorable--they're heart-healthy to have around! Studies have shown that dogs help lower blood pressure and improve mood!
3. Dogs keep us active!
Meg Evens
When our doggos want us to walk them (and yes, it was a reflex to not even type out the word "walk" after growing up with dogs) it helps us be active! Dog owners are more likely to get exercise, AND dog ownership is correlated with health benefits including a lower BMI well into our senior years!
4. Dogs help with depression!
Alex Wheeler
Dog owners are less likely to deal with depression! (Big surprise, right?) Something really really cool is that this effect was especially demonstrated in AIDS positive men, who are especially prone to depression for obvious reasons. So not only are dogs incredibly helpful to everyone, but at risk people can be helped by the presence of a dog!
5. Dogs are amazing doctors!
Gabriella Barcines
Now, we've all heard of service dogs, but do you know that dogs can sometimes even detect disease? Some dogs have even been able to sniff out cancer!
6. Dogs are great for health conditions!
Christine O'Malley
Dogs can detect subtle changes in the rhythms of the human body, meaning that good dogs can detect seizures! That means that they can make people with chronic conditions live life so much more easily! All in all, they're 10/10 good pups!
7. Guess who can understand over 150 words? Dogs!
Jennifer Kustanovich
You might just think that dogs can understand "walk" and "treat," but they can understand over 150 words! That's on par with a toddler. So dogs can understand more of the things we say than we think, and they're good smart pups!
8. Dogs have an understanding of time and routine
Christine O'Malley
When I was younger, I noticed that my dog would get upset if I was late coming home or left too early. And now, I know that it's been proven that dogs have an understanding of time! It's different than ours, but they understand that time passes and they miss us when we're gone!
9. Dogs have unique nose prints!
Jenna Collins
Dogs' nose prints are just as alike as humans' finger prints! That means that when they boop something with their snoot, it'll never be the same from dog to dog. How precious is that?!
10. Dogs dream!
Constance W
Our dogs can actually dream! So when they're running around or making noises in their sleep, there's lots of stuff going on in their adorable little heads.
All in all, dogs are pretty amazing, and we should do our best to give them all the love that they give us and more!
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