Stress relief. The verdict is in: dogs are better than vacations. The affection and loving acceptance we get from dogs are among the most effective soothers of human stress.

Lower blood pressure. Whether through the increased exercise of daily walks or the above mentioned stress relief, dogs have been shown to reduce high blood pressure.

Lower cholesterol. Dog guardians typically have lower cholesterol levels than people with no dogs, possibly because dog people might adopt a healthier lifestyle overall.

Pain reduction. In one study, people recovering from surgery needed 50% less pain medication after receiving visits from therapy dogs. In another, people living with chronic pain reported experiencing less pain after petting a dog for as little as 15 minutes.

 

 

Winter 2015 Training Tidbit: 

 

Why is this important? Dogs love to chase things-balls, cats, sticks, Frisbees, and other dogs. They get this love from their wolf ancestry, along with the instincts to stalk, and grab and shake small prey animals. But wolves are all about the same size and live in the same social group their entire lives. Dogs, by contrast, have been bred into a staggering variety of sizes, and regularly meet dogs that are new to them. When dogs chase each other or wrestle, one dog may panic and begin to shriek or struggle like a prey animal. If that happens, a predatory reflex in the other dog may kick in.

Instincts are instincts. Even dogs not usually into hunting-type activities can have their predatory reflexes triggered if the situation resembles a predator-prey interaction. A good example is when one dog flees from another in a good, old-fashioned game of chase. The rapidly retreating dog suddenly looks like prey.