Considering adding a new pet to your family? If the youngest members of your household are begging for a puppy this summer, they might just be right. While puppies may imply specific challenges, general dog ownership does have specific benefits that can make it worth the trouble, especially for families with extra time this summer to integrate a new pet into their household.

Adding a pet is a responsibility but also an opportunity for companionship, teaching life skills and more. See five ways a dog could be the perfect addition to your family this summer. 

Here are five benefits of owning a dog:  

Any dog lover can tell you how dogs enrich a person’s life. Depending on the breed and the animal’s individual personality, happy energy, quiet empathy and loyal presence can all be beneficial during different phases of life. Significant benefits have been found for individuals who suffer from anxiety and depression, with therapy dogs and emotional support animals than ever in our communities.  Dogs are often helpful for loneliness and grief, too.

1. Canine comfort and companionshop:

Any dog lover can tell you how dogs enrich a person’s life. Depending on the breed and the animal’s individual personality, happy energy, quiet empathy and loyal presence can all be beneficial during different phases of life. Significant benefits have been found for individuals who suffer from anxiety and depression, with therapy dogs and emotional support animals than ever in our communities. Dogs are often helpful for loneliness and grief, too.

2. Longevity:

“Circulation,” a magazine of the American Heart Association, reported a correlation with longer life spans in individuals who own dogs according to comprehensive data collected between 1950 and 2019. The most significant benefit was observed in heart attack survivors, who were observed to experience 65% reduced mortality overall. That benefit may correlate with improved cardiovascular health observed in dog owners, the report concluded, in part  because of the physical requirements of caring for a dog, like regular walking and stress reduction from the positive bond between pet and owner. Studies also show less incidence of dementia in older seniors.

3. Sociability:

Another way dogs help improve overall health is through the ways they help us make connections. PLOS, a San Francisco-based non-profit, summed it up as “The Pet Factor,” which cited dogs as a catalyst for forming friendships and making  connections. It concluded that pet owners were more likely to know their neighbors and consider others with pets their friends upon meeting them.  “Around 40% of pet owners reported receiving one or more types of social support (i.e. emotional, informational, appraisal, instrumental) via people they met through their pet.,” the report states.

4. Happiness:  

For those who love their dogs, being in their presence raises owners’ oxytocin, often called “the happiness chemical.” The National Institute of Health recapped a 2007 Japanese study that found oxytocin increased in dog owners just from their pet gazing lovingly at them. Increasing oxytocin also protects against depression.

5. Personal Security:

Curious dogs make for excellent domestic guards. Barking may scare off some would-be intruders. Some canines may proceed to attack individuals who come onto the property but many criminals simply won’t risk it. Alerting families to individuals outside is also a useful aspect of having a dog.

Additionally, health benefits for children like lower incidence of asthma and allergies have also been observed.

No matter what you decide about having a dog at home, being open to the idea is a great first step. If you’re not ready to have an animal at home yet, helping out a local shelter is an excellent option to volunteer, donate and perhaps eventually find the perfect pet for your home.