Have you ever gazed into your dog’s eyes and literally felt the joy in your heart from their look of adoration? Or maybe waking up in the morning isn’t as terrible when you get to be a dog mom and watch your dog do their morning doga routine. Whatever it is, something about these magical creatures improves our lives in countless ways. Dogs add laughter and smiles to our faces on the daily. Here are just a few reasons why dogs make us happy and add so much to our daily lives.
Dogs Have a Positive Impact On Our Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Qualities
Barkbox published a study showing a positive impact on the emotional, behavioral, and physical impact dogs have on their pup parents. A few of their results revealed that:
- 93% of dog parents in the United States believe their dog has made them a better person in at least one way.
- 71% of dog mom and dog dads say their pups make them happier people.
- About 80% of pup parents believe it’s easier to wake up in the morning because their dog is there to greet them with excitement.
- About 50% of dog parents state their dog has made them more patient.
- 54% of dog moms and dog dads say their pup has made them more responsible.
- 47% of dog owners believe they have become more affectionate because of their pup.
- 83% of pup parents states their dog has made them more active.
- 72% of dog mom and dog dads say their pup is an influence with their exercise decisions.
- 85% of dog parents have accounted for their pups to get them through rough life patches.
Being a Dog Mom Releases Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a hormone released from our body known to make us feel “in love” and all cuddly. Scientists have confirmed this by performing tests where we stare into our dog’s beaming eyes and our oxytocin levels spike-as do our dog’s oxytocin levels! This makes our bond stronger with our dogs and decreases our cortisol (our stress hormone) and anxiety levels. Excuse me while I go grab my dogs and give them the biggest hugs ever.
Dogs Make Us Happy By Making Us Active
Dogs motivate you to get out of bed, go outside, and by nature keep us more active by just being there. I cannot fathom going on a walk without a leash in my hand. If you didn’t have a dog, would you really take yourself on 4-5 walks a day? It is well-known being physically active is endorphin-releasing and just makes us feel better about ourselves. Maybe add an extra walk (or jog!) into your daily routine. Use that time to think about how grateful you are to have the opportunity to be around such a furry treasure.
Dogs Keep Your Social Life Alive
Let’s face it, not all of us seek out human interaction the way a dog sniffs out food. When you are at the dog park or going for a walk, you are going to run into people. Your dog will proactively take the first step with introducing themselves, leaving you to follow suit. And, thankfully, most dog parents are a pretty good breed of people to communicate with-you already have the most important bond in common with your canine love. Dogs not only make YOU happy, but they make people happy. So your social life tends to be at a place where you are around others who have the same happy feeling about their own dogs.
Dogs Give Us a Positive Outlook On Life
Studies have shown how dog owners tend to have a happier and positive demeanor than those who do not own a dog. Dogs keep us optimistic and teach us lessons on the daily. They don’t need social media or iPhones to get fulfillment from their lives–we have a lot to learn from these animals. Dogs make us happy by just being their joyful and gleeful furry selves. Next time you walk your pup, observe how content in life they are with the simple things in life.
Having a Dog Makes Us Adult
Dogs need structure and order in their lives – in turn, giving you structure and order. Pups make us responsible, as they wake up every day and look to their parents to take care of them. You have to make sure you are home to take them out. Your decisions need to be premeditated to ensure you are not impacting your pup’s life negatively. So, as much as I don’t want to admit to adulting, my dogs make me do just that. This structure creates gratification and happiness for both you and your dog’s life.
Dogs Don’t Play Games With Your Emotions
Your pup loves you, and they will let you know every day how much they love you. They don’t beat around the bush like humans do. Dogs get to the point and their point of their happy and tail-wagging life is you! No matter what happens during your day, your dog will welcome you without judgement and love you unconditionally. They are there to give us a laugh and be our friend when we are down or when life is crazy. And there is no greater happiness to a dog mom than this unconditional love from your dog.
