Why Have A Dog

  They are really no trouble their manners are great. What is one more dog and just one more crate? The sofa is hairy, the windows are crusty, and the floor is all footprints, the furniture dusty.   The housekeeping suffers, but what do you care? Who minds a few nose prints and a little more hair? So let us keep a puppy, you can always find room, and a little more time for the dust cloth and broom.   There is hardly a limit to the dogs you can add. The thought of a cutback sure makes you sad. Each one is so special, so useful, and so funny. The vet and food bills grows larger, you owe BIG money.   Your folks never visit; few friends come to stay, except other "dog folks" who live the same way. Your lawn has now died, and your shrubs are dead too, But your weekends are busy, you are off with your crew.   There is dog food, vitamins, training, shots, entries, travel, and motels that cost lots. Is it worth it you wonder? Could I be caught in a trap? Then that favorite one comes and climbs in your lap.   His look says you are special and you know that you will keep all of the critters in spite of the bill. Some for showing and some to breed and all for loving, they all fill a need.   The dogs and the dog shows, the travel, the thrills, the work and the worry, the pressure, the bills. The whole thing seems worth it, the dogs are your life. They are charming and funny and offset the strife.   Your life-style has changed. Things will not be the same. Yes, those dogs are addictive and so is the dog game.    

 My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.
~~ He has his food prepared for him.
~~ He can eat whenever he wants.
~~ His meals are provided at no cost to him.
~~ He visits the Dr. once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.
~~ For this he pays nothing, and nothing is required of him.
~~ He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than he needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.
~~ If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.
~~ He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.
~~ He receives these accommodations absolutely free.
~~ He is living like a King, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.
~~ All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.
~~ I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head.......
 

I think my dog is a member of Congress!
 

• Dogs relieve stress .Playing with a dog or even just  petting a familiar dog lowers blood pressure and heart rate, slows  breathing, and relaxes muscle tension almost immediately. That study is  backed up by more recent ones that show a reduced level of stress  hormones in blood chemistry, even in people who are candidates for blood  pressure medication.
   
• Dogs are good for your heart. Literally. The  "American Journal of Cardiology" published research about a study of 369  heart attack patients one year after they were released from the  hospital. One year later, pet owners had a much higher rate of survival  than non-pet owners. The research concluded that the bond between humans  and dogs reduces stress, which is a major cause of cardiovascular  problems.
   
• Dogs make us happy. In fact, even just looking at a dog can make you happy.A study  found that just staring into your dog’s eyes raises your level of  oxytocin. Other studies have shown that owning a dog can alleviate  depression, and this is especially true for older adults. As social ties  loosen and family members live farther apart from each other, seniors  are at risk of becoming isolated and lonely, which is a cause of  depression. Reach  studied people 60 years and older who didn’t live with a human  companion, but had a pet. Their likelihood of being diagnosed with  depression was one-quarter as likely as non-pet owners.

 Dogs increase our social interactions with other people.  Think about how often you stop to talk to other people when out with  your dog, whether it’s neighbors on a walk or new friends you make at  the the dog park.  People who have a strong attachment to a pet report that  they feel more connected in their human relationships and their  communities. The  also concluded that teenagers and young adults who grow up with a dog become more confident and empathetic.
 

• Dogs keep you physically active. Dog owners are more likely to engage in moderate physical  activity than non-dog owners. In fact, dog owners walk an average of 300  minutes per week, while non-dog owners walk an average of 168 minutes a  week. Those walks around the block are good for you!
  A dog’s sense of smell can keep you healthy.  They can also help you avoid foods you’re allergic to. Several places in the United States  With so many children suffering from severe peanut allergies, this can  be a godsend to their families. Dogs can also be trained to alert  diabetics to a low blood sugar level.  

 Dogs make us want to take care of them.  There must be a reason so many people become virtually addicted to dog  videos, and why puppies are so irresistible. Konrad Lorenz, a  20th-century Austrian zoologist, posited that  a dog’s facial features are known as social releasers and bring out an innate caregiver response in humans.
 

A dog can make you more attractive to potential love interests. Singles, listen up. A owning a dog can make a person seem more attractive, and 85 percent  said that people seem more approachable when they’re with a dog.

The human-canine attachment is centuries old. Dogs depend on us to  take care of them and form strong bonds with their humans. We thrive on  their devotion to us. But in their own way, they are taking care of us,  as well. The next time someone accuses you of loving the dog more than  you love people, you'll have science to back up the reasons why you do.