This summer we became proud owners of a border collie, maltese, miniature american eskimo mix puppy.  My daughter named him after my dad.  In a good way.  We are trying to add value to our life, and my wife feels it is of value for our children to learn how to care for something living.  A goldfish might have been easier, but we ended up with a dog.  Now we are knee deep in toys, puppy food, licks, and dog books.  It turns out dogs can actually be good for your health.

1. Dogs can help keep you active.  When our children are bored, which is most of the day, we tell them to go out and play with the dog.  He’s a built in, real life toy.  They agree sometimes.  Our puppy is just learning how to walk on a leash, so walks are pretty short at this point, but we plan to someday go on daily long walks with him.  He’ll hopefully be a little extra motivation to get outdoors.  My wife sprinted up and down the street with him, and he’s already faster than she is.  He will keep us on our toes for sure!
2. Dogs can help you bounce back from illness.  This is the idea behind  therapy dogs in hospitals and care centers.  Dogs can be calming and promote socialization and mobility.  New research from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that in just a few minutes of petting your dog, “feel good” hormones are released into your bloodstream, promoting lower stress and a greater sense of well-being.
3. Dogs could be just as good as medicine for some things.  A study published in the British Journal of Health in 2004 found that dog owners have lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure than non dog owners.
4. The Journal of Pediatrics published a study associating dog ownership with a decreased incidence of allergies and eczema in children.
5. A dog can save your life.  Some dogs can actually detect cancer in humans.  Dogs have been successful at sniffing out skin cancer, bladder, breast, lung, and colon cancer.  There are also dogs that can detect low blood sugar in people with diabetes.  Some are trained as service dogs and can be taught how to detect low blood sugar.

We are enjoying being new puppy owners.  I hope some of you fellow dog owners are finding some of these health benefits.