Man’s best friend, 7 benefits of raising a dog

Do you have a pet? Many people like to keep pets for companionship, and dogs account for the main proportion. Keeping a dog is not only like having an extra family member, but it is also very beneficial to people's body and mind. Dogs are indeed mankind's best friends. In addition to walking your dog, you can also exercise with them. When you want to exercise, you might as well join in with your dog!

Keeping a dog is good for the body and mind.

Keeping a dog is not only a companion pet, but also has many benefits for people's body and mind, as follows:

1. Reduce stress: Spending a few minutes with a dog can reduce blood pressure and anxiety. When people are engaged in stressful work, they will perform better if they have a dog with them.

2. Reduce depression and be happier: Dog owners are usually less likely to be depressed. The interaction between the owner and the dog, as well as the love received from the dog, help make the owner's thoughts more positive. Even if you just look at the dog for a moment, the brain will produce chemicals that make people feel intimate, such as oxytocin.

3. Make the body healthier: Research points out that dog owners are more motivated to complete their health plans, because when the owners are walking their dogs, they themselves are also exercising, and the quality of the exercise is better. When a family has a dog, children are more willing to go out to exercise and play with the dog.

4. Strengthen the mind and social circle: Research shows that owning and walking dogs can increase social interaction. Dogs can help people gradually become less shy and escape isolation. When many people walk their dogs and meet other dog owners, they will talk to them, thus increasing interaction. In addition, children who often take care of dogs will have improved empathy and self-esteem. Petting and playing with dogs can increase the production of serotonin and dopamine.

5. Prevent chronic diseases: Experts point out that dog walkers are 1/3 more likely to suffer from diabetes than people who do not own a dog. In addition, raising a dog can also help children prevent autoimmune diseases or allergies. Research from the University of Cincinnati College in the United States points out that children with a family history of allergies who grow up with dogs after birth are less likely to develop eczema and asthma.

6. Enhance cardiovascular health: Studies have shown that keeping a dog is related to lowering heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol (Cholesterol), and triglyceride (Triglyceride), which contributes to overall cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of coronary artery disease and heart disease.

7. Find diseases and accompany patients: Some dogs are trained to sniff out skin, kidney, bladder, prostate cancer and other diseases. Some dogs are used to accompany patients with brain trauma, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.; others are used to accompany Alzheimer's patients. disease), it also appears to be helpful in moderating their rage and aggressive behavior.

Training dogs to walk

Although raising a dog is a good thing, it is also a huge responsibility. You have to take care of their daily life, handle their toilets, bathe them, and take them to play. It is also important to train them to be obedient, just like teaching children.

Five major benefits of dog training:

1. The process of training a dog can also enhance the relationship between the dog and its owner.

2. After the dog and its owner have a common language, they can understand the owner's instructions.

3. In the process of training, dogs will also train their minds.

4. If dogs are well-behaved, you don’t need to worry about them running around or urinating anywhere.

5. After dogs are trained, you can take them to get to know more people or the same kind.

4 basic commands/actions

You don’t need to train them to a high level, just let them understand some basic commands:

1. Sit down: Stand in front of the dog with food in your hand, put the food close to its nose and let it smell it, then slightly raise the hand holding the food, let the dog raise its head in the direction of the food, and let the dog sit down at the same time. After it sits down, shout "sit", and then give it the food.

2. Come here: Put on the dog leash and collar, pull the leash to keep a short distance from the dog, then squat down to the same level as the dog, shout "come here" to it, gently pull the leash at the same time, and then give it food when it comes over.

3. Wait a minute: Before teaching this command, the dog must first learn command 1. After asking the dog to sit down as described in Instruction 1, open the palms of your hands and face the dog with the palms of both hands at the same time, shout "Wait a minute", and then take a few steps back. If it does not move, give it food, and then slowly increase the distance you retreat.

4. Leave: Holding the same kind of food in each hand, extend one hand towards it, but do not let it see the food, and then shout "leave". No matter if it wants to smell, lick, scratch or bark, ignore it. When it stops trying to get the food in your hand, give it the food in the other hand. Then continue to repeat the same steps and instructions until it really ignores your outstretched hand when you shout "leave".

Exercise with dogs

Keeping a dog is not only beneficial to humans, but is also an excellent partner for people when exercising. You can try the following exercises with your dog:

1. Dog walking: This is a good exercise for both dogs and people. People who walk dogs will have a lower body mass index (BMI) and are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases or symptoms of depression..

2. Running: When jogging with your dog for the first time, slow down the speed, evaluate how far it can run, and then slowly increase the distance. Dogs usually like to run in front of their owners. If they are parallel to their owners or fall behind, it means it is time for the dog to rest.

3. Climbing stairs: By climbing stairs with your dog, the owner can train the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles, and the lower body will be firmer.

4. Yoga: Doing yoga with dogs, there is a term called Doga (Dog+Yoga). The owner can help the dog do some postures, or massage and acupressure it, which can enhance the relationship between the human and the dog. At the same time, the owner can also do some health checks for the dog and feel whether there are lumps or foreign objects under its fur.

5. Football: Some types of dogs like to play football. Buy a bite-proof football. After your dog learns to kick or dribble with its nose or paws, you can then play other games, such as kicking the ball far away and letting the dog chase the ball.

6. Throw the Frisbee: Play a Frisbee game with your dog. You can use the Frisbee as a eating plate to make it more familiar with the Frisbee, or put the Frisbee on the ground to rotate or roll to make the dog more involved in the Frisbee game.