6 Reasons You Should Get a Dog (For Your Health!)

I spend way more time than I should browsing Petfinder looking at all of the adorable dogs I could adopt. I always think of a million reasons I shouldn’t get a dog right now: the expense, the responsibility, the shedding. But there are some very good reasons why we should ALL get a dog—for health! Owning a dog can help you slim down and get healthy. If you’re looking for an excuse to welcome a furry friend into your home, here are six good ones:

To Lose Weight
Owning a dog can help you lose weight—it’s science! Northwestern University actually did a study in which they had two groups of people follow the same diet and exercise plan. One of the groups was full of dog owners. They exercised with their dogs, while the other group exercised on their own, without a dog. The dog owners lost significantly more weight than the group without furry friends.

To Fight Depression
A dog can also help you cope with depression. Unconditional love and someone to cuddle with are surefire cures for the blues. Plus, the responsibility of caring for a pet has been proven to help people battling chronic depression.

For an Exercise Buddy
You will never find a more enthusiastic exercise buddy than a dog. Fido will always be game for a stroll, run, or hike. And you can be sure he’s not judging how you look in your running pants!

To Meet People
If you’re single, a dog can help you meet people! There’s no better conversation starter than a puppy. Send Fido over to that cute guy at the dog park so you have an excuse to go say hi. Or join a dog walking group to make new friends.

For Routine
You may not want to get out of bed when your alarm goes off at 6:00am, but when you wake up to a dog wagging his tail and bouncing around the room ready for his walk, it’s hard to say no. Owning a dog can help you stick to a regular daily routine, which is good for managing your health.

To Lower Your Blood Pressure
Just petting your dog can release beneficial chemicals into your brain and reduce your blood pressure. In fact, owning a pet has been proven to be better treatment for chronic high blood pressure than certain hypertension medications.

Head to your local shelter today to find yourself a health-promoting and adorable furry exercise buddy!