The Benefits of Petting a Dog
Dogs love to be pet – a pat on the head is the key to their heart. But, it turns out, petting a dog isn’t just beneficial to the canine; it’s beneficial to the humans too. In fact, the entire dog-person-connection is based on mutual benefit, with each getting back in return what they give.
When a human and dog make contact, it reduces stress and anxiety in both species. The science behind this lies in our brain waves and the stress hormone cortisol. Once you and your pet make contact, the levels of cortisol decrease. The contact also releases “feel-good hormones” like serotonin, oxytocin, and prolactin. This helps us (and our dogs) feel calm and relaxed. In other words, we make each other feel better.
Studies have backed this up, with lower stress levels and levels of nervousness among children and adults who regularly pet their dogs. Likewise, workers who bring their dogs into the office also report lower levels of stress. Dogs can even go as far as to help people dealing with depression and they can staunch the feelings of loneliness. Thus, when some people say, “All I need is my dog,” they’re not speaking in hyperbole.
The benefits don’t stop at the above. We know that dogs have a huge effect on our hearts in a metaphorical sense, but – it turns out – they have a huge effect in a literal sense as well. Dogs reduce both heart rate and blood pressure in people, two things that offer a slug of health benefits. When dogs and humans make contact, their systems relax.
There is an indirect benefit too – dog owners are naturally more active. They have to exercise their dogs and so they end up getting exercise themselves. Exercise, as we all know, benefits the heart. The direct and indirect perks of pet ownership are so potent that some doctors even prescribe dogs to people suffering from heart conditions.
Your immune system is also aided by your dog, especially if your dog has a tendency to lick you. It may sound counterintuitive, but your dog’s habit of introducing you to viruses, bacteria, and the dirt it just rolled in primes your immune system the same way a flu shot does. As the world has grown more sanitized, the introduction of germs is more important than ever: if your body never experiences foreign invaders, it doesn’t strengthen or learn how to protect itself.
This benefit extends past colds and cases of flu – growing up with a dog in the home and petting it regularly makes you less likely to have allergies or asthma later in life.
Finally, connecting to a dog helps cultivate empathy in both species. We know now that dogs feel empathy for us – they try to comfort us when we’re sad and they shun those who they perceive as having treated us poorly. We return the favor, having empathy for them. Studies show that people who own pets during their formative years, between the ages of five and fifteen, score higher in empathy levels.
So, there you have it: petting a dog is more than giving them attention. The contact between human and canine offers a bowlful of benefits and serves as a basis for social and emotional development. The fact that they’re such cute and cuddly family members is just the cherry on top.
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
