30 Sep Treating Depression by Keeping a Dog (Part 2)

In the previous part, we explained about treating depression by keeping pets like dogs. We said that these creatures evoke a sense of freshness and vitality in humans. Feeling responsible, nurturing and caring for them improves people’s mental health. Dogs also change the human’s lifestyle. We described the activation of the hormone oxytocin before. This part will explain the rest of these cases and the benefits of keeping dogs for children.

Dogs and lifestyle changes

Increase exercise

Having a dog for walking or running will create healthy daily entertainment and exercise in your schedule. Studies show that dog owners are more likely to include daily exercise in their routine. Because exercising every day is very important for the animal. It will deepen the connection between you and the animal. Daily activity often eliminates behavioural problems in dogs and ensures the health of your pet.

Make friends 

Friendship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while loneliness can trigger depressive symptoms. Caring for a dog can help you feel needed and focus on your problems, especially if you live alone. Most humans talk to their dogs, and some even use them to help with their problems. Nothing destroys loneliness when you come home with a dog wagging his tail.

Help you meet new people.

Pets can be great social facilitators for their owners. They help you start new relationships and maintain them. Dog owners regularly stop and talk to each other. They walk together or even run in dog parks. Dog owners are also visiting new people in pet stores, clubs and training classes.

Reduce anxiety

Having a dog can calm you down, relieve anxiety, and boost people’s confidence worried about going out. Because dogs live in the present, they don’t worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. They can help you think more and enjoy the present time.

Add structure and rhythm to your life.

Dogs need regular feeding and scheduled exercise. Having a consistent rhythm keeps him balanced and calm and can work for you as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re depressed, anxious, or worried. If you have a reproachful look at your pet, you will have to get out of bed to eat, exercise, and take care of them.

Physical contact

Even simple physical contact can help reduce depression and anxiety. This isn’t limited to bodily contact with humans, but some dog breeds are very effective in this regard. Because they tend to stay in physical touch and close with their owners, it’s a well-known way to treat depression by keeping dogs at home.

Unconditional love

Unlike even their closest friends and family, dogs don’t have the capacity or inclination to judge their owners. You’re entirely free with your puppy. You can confess to them the darker angles of your moral character or show behaviours you haven’t done before. Your dog will stay firmly with you. But if you display these behaviours in front of other humans, they may withhold their love from you.

Feeling of security

Some dogs make their owners feel safe. They react and protect you from the dangers you encounter by making movements and strange noises.

Conventional pain and depression control 

Many studies have shown that dogs can provide significant emotional aspects to their owners. Their pure and strong emotions help to reduce depression, everyday stress and control pain a lot.

Pets benefits for children

• Not only do children who grow up with pets have a lower risk of allergies and asthma, but many people learn responsibility, compassion and empathy from having a dog or cat.
• The presence of animals with children when parents aren’t at home conveys a sense of security and peace to the child.
• Children who are emotionally attached to dogs have a stronger connection to others.
• Studies have also shown that dogs can calm aggressive children. Of course, both dogs and children need to be trained to treat each other appropriately.

 Extensive research by researchers worldwide has shown that you can treat some emotional problems and mental disorders with pets. In psychology and psychiatry, the term pet therapy has long been used by researchers. Establishing an emotional bond with a companion animal in isolated individuals takes them out of a state of stagnation and satisfies part of their spiritual needs. A tame animal can attract the love of his owner with his behaviours. that human being can also meet his suppressed feelings by softening his emotions and establishing an emotional relationship with that animal. If you’re concerned about the cleanliness and grooming of your dogs, you can count on the professional MishkaGrooming team.