“One of the biggest predictors of someone’s health is having sufficient support systems around them,” says Tedeschi. “Most of the time people imagine we’re talking only about human beings as support systems, but it turns out that the research really suggests that support can also come from our companion animals.”
Indeed, studies have consistently shown that owning a dog reduces feelings of loneliness, and a 2020 survey conducted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute found that 80 percent of pet owners reported feeling less lonely than those without pets. As for the downstream health effects of loneliness, a Swedish study with a whopping sample size of 3.4 million people found dog owners in particular to have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death overall. “That’s huge, especially considering that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States,” says Shari B. Kaplan, LCSW, integrative mental health clinician at Cannectd Wellness.
They encourage you to engage with your community
In addition to their inherent ability to reduce feelings of loneliness, dogs force us to interact with our communities. Speaking from personal experience, earlier this year I went from not knowing my neighbors (I live in New York, it’s normal) to meeting the better part of the people living on my block—all thanks to Alfie.
“When you have a dog, you have to walk your dog. And it just gives more opportunity for that community engagement.” says Jamie Richardson, BVetMed, head of veterinary medicine at Small Door Veterinary.
“Having a dog gets us into social spaces and engaging with the world in ways that we maybe weren’t before,” says Thomas Banta, LMHC, LCAC, a clinical mental health counselor. “That can be really healthy on a couple of levels.”
Recent research shows us that feeling a sense of community is an important factor for our overall mental health and psychological well-being. Among other things, it helps us to feel connected to others, put our own lives into perspective, and reinforce a sense of identity. Dogs not only nudge us towards these kinds of beneficial social interactions; they also make us more adept at navigating them, with studies finding that having a dog can improve self-esteem, mitigate negativity caused by social rejection, and even make us appear more attractive!
They provide long-term (and instant) stress relief
Dogs can literally lower our stress levels without even trying. Researchers at Washington State University found that petting a dog for just 10 minutes was enough to considerably lower levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol in college students. In fact, a Japanese study found that simply gazing into the eyes of a dog raised levels of oxytocin, a hormone that has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety and support psychological stability.
