Owning a Pet is Good for Your Health

In an interview with Psych Central in 2024, Dr. Larena Davis, counselor and clinical director for The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper, explains that having a pet can benefit one’s health by increasing our dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin levels — all hormones that make us happy.

Oxytocin, for instance, is often called the “love” hormone because it fosters the development of bonds with others. Our bloodwork also improves with pet ownership. Pet owners are noted to have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.

They also register lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. For example, when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.

Regular walks with pets may be one reason for the healthier outcomes. According to Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. (Help Guide, 2024), residents who walked their dogs for up to 20 minutes five days a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds a year without ever changing their diets (2). People who owned dogs also increased their weekly walking time by 30 minutes.

Your Dog Can Feel When You’re Happy or Sad

Ever wonder why your puppy snuggles close when you’re sad? It’s because dogs can sense your sadness. Even without knowing the context of your pain, they can distinguish the joyous sound of laughing from the sound of crying. Negative sounds affect dogs more than positive ones, so they respond appropriately, says Stephanie Gibeault in a 2018 article for the American Kennel Club (3). 

After observing the dogs, Gibeault noted that they consistently turned to the left upon hearing fear and sadness vocalizations, regardless of how subtle these sounds were, such as changes in breathing. This behavior suggests that the dogs processed these specific sounds in the right side of their brain, leading them to interpret the sounds as unfavorable. On the other hand, for happy sounds, the dogs turned to the right, showing that they interpreted them as positive.

The Most Intelligent Pets

You may be surprised that the most intelligent pets aren't typical household pets. The top two animals on the list are the African Gray Parrot and pig, writes Mitch Ryan in a 2023 feature for How Stuff Works (4). 

African Gray Parrots are beautiful mute gray parrots with a red feather accent. They’re some of the most intelligent birds, best known for their human language comprehension and accurate mimicry. It can perfectly follow anyone’s speech pattern. Gray Parrots also have extensive problem-solving skills and excellent memories that allow them to surpass the cognitive abilities of a human toddler.

Pigs, which come second, have spatial awareness and memorization abilities comparable to those of a human toddler. Ryan writes that they also demonstrate high social and emotional intelligence levels with other pigs and can interact with creatures outside their species. These characteristics make pigs brilliant creatures and pets. 

According to Jeanna Bryner (Live Science, 2009), domesticated dogs rank third but are still on par with human two-year-olds. However, dogs’ intelligence varies significantly between the breeds, with Border Collies considered one of the smartest (5). They’re closely followed by poodles, German shepherds, and golden retrievers. 

References

1. Simone Marie. “10 Mental Health Benefits of Pets.” Psych Central, April 15, 2022. | https://psychcentral.com/health/pets-and-mental-health

2. Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. “The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets.” Helpguide.org, February 5, 2024. | https://www.helpguide.org/wellness/pets/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs

3. Stephanie Gibeault. “Research Shows Your Dog Can Hear When You’re Happy or Sad.” American Kennel Club, April 4, 2018. | https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/dogs-can-hear-your-emotions/

4. Mitch Ryan. “What Are the World’s Smartest Pets and Animals?” How Stuff Works, May 23, 2023. | https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/smartest-pets.htm#:~:text=African+Grey+Parrots&text=They+have+the+highest+levels,language+comprehension+and+accurate+mimicry

5. Jeanna Bryner. “Dogs as Smart as 2-year-old Kids.” Live Science, August 8, 2009. | https://www.livescience.com/5613-dogs-smart-2-year-kids.html