Welcome to the University of Tulsa’s new mascot, Goldie! This young Golden Retriever will soon be ready to attend football games and other university events, and she will no doubt charm the hearts of alumni and university supporters everywhere.
Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, likely 20,000-40,000 years ago in Europe and Asia. In 2021, Dogs are so ingrained in society that 48 percent of US households have a pet, including 89 million pet dogs.
Aside from the obvious joy of having a companion dog, there are many known and suspected health benefits of canine ownership.
Half of all preventable deaths in the US result from poor lifestyle choices, notably unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Regular exercise has been shown to prevent the development of numerous diseases while reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.
The US government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity weekly, but less than 30 percent of Americans meet that goal.
Dog owners feel obliged to take their furry companions for regular walks, resulting in four times the chance of meeting the activity guidelines than non-owners. Evidence has shown that dog owners, with their walking obligation, experience lower risks of cardiovascular disease and death. According to Canadian O. A. Batista, “A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.”
The “hygiene hypothesis” proposes that the modern hygienic environment, with its lack of exposure to previously ubiquitous bacteria, may lead to a whole spectrum of immune-related disorders. Children living on farms are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune disorders than are city dwellers. Exposure to the innocuous microbes that may protect against such diseases may also be obtained by having a dog and playing outside in the dirt.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, more than one-third of Americans 45 years of age and older felt lonely and one-fourth 65 years of age and older felt socially isolated. Dog owners in these groups experience reduced depression and improved sense of wellbeing. In military veterans, the provision of specially-trained post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service dogs results in significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, reduced depression and increased social participation.
Should health care providers recommend dog ownership to their patients? Yes, of course, but with several caveats. Dogs need to be active and to have space in which to do so. Dog ownership is a 10- to 15-year commitment, so older people should make plans for their animal in case they die first. And the inevitable loss of one’s dog--often a treasured family member—can be as stressful as the death of a relative. According to author Agnes Turnbull, “Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”
In a recent edition of the New York Times, Sergio Mendoza related his version of a Tiny Love Story: “My father died in a home gas explosion in Mexico after I’d moved to Miami. I fell into a deep, dark hole. One day after drinking, I faced what I’d been thinking: What if nobody can love me as my father did? Papa never wanted to change me, never questioned my sexuality or personality. At home alone, I began to suffer so much that I contemplated suicide. ‘I want to be with someone who loves me unconditionally,’ I said aloud. Right then, my dog walked over and stared at me. Canijo perro, that damn dog, I owe him my life.”
What a good dog!