A dog is man's best friend. The impact that a pet has on a family can be magical. In 2012, my family got two golden retriever puppies. In the beginning, I felt the work for them was never ending. I fed my dogs. I groomed my dogs. I walked my dogs. Now I can see that the hard work was all worth it. Whenever I get stressed out about school or other things, I play with my dogs, and it greatly helps. The main reasons to own a pet are the health benefits, the life skills, and maintaining fitness and structure to your day.

Having a dog can reduce stress. Spending just a few minutes with a pet can lower anxiety by increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine, two neurochemicals that play big roles in calming and one’s physical wellbeing. Studies show that having a canine companion is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and decreased triglyceride levels, which contribute to better overall cardiovascular health and fewer heart attacks. Also, dog owners who do have heart attacks have better survival rates following these events.

People performing stressful tasks such as giving a speech do better when there’s a dog around. Studies also show dogs ease tension both at the office and between married couples. It’s widely believed that dog owners are less prone to depression than the dog-less, largely because they seem to help in so many other areas of health and wellbeing. The truth is somewhat more complicated. Though there’s evidence that certain dog owners—including isolated elderly women and HIV-positive men—suffer less from depression with pets than those without pets, there’s also proof that dogs don’t do much for other demographics (Grandparent 2016). However, therapy dogs, animals that do not stay in the owner’s home, have been shown to be effective in easing depression for a variety of people, old and young, sick and healthy.

Having a pet will teach the owner basic life lessons and skills. Pets require a lot of work like feeding, grooming, affection, and cleanup. In completing these actions, the owner will learn responsibility. Before my dogs, I was the only person that I needed to worry about. After we had gotten my dogs however, I have to feed them before school, and after school every day. Another life skill that having a pet will teach the owner is respect. Owning a pet will teach them to touch them gently, tend to their needs, and learn not to disturb them while they are eating or sleeping. Owners learn the importance of showing loyalty to others with a pet. If owners stay loyal to their pet, the pet’s loyalty towards them is usually returned. A final skill that a pet will teach the owner is patience. Bonding and training a new pet takes a lot a patience. I remember first trying to train my dogs. They never wanted to listen and do tricks. But being patient and being persistent was the key to training them (Becker 2014).

As people grow older, especially after they retire, it can be difficult to find structure and meaning day in and day out. Dogs take care of that. They force people to continue to do things, and give them a sort of loose structure to their days. Even for teens, summers can be boring. Dogs can give you a structure to your day, even if it's only a little one. Dogs help prevent loneliness and isolation as well, which is key in resisting cognitive decline and disease.

Health experts recommend that adults get about 2 hours and 30 minutes worth of moderate exercise per week. Dog owners are way more likely to hit that goal. In 2016, a study in the journal Gerontologist found that older adults who walked dogs experienced “lower body mass index, fewer cases of daily living limitations, fewer doctor visits, and more frequent moderate and vigorous exercise.” (Curl, Bibbo, & Johnson 2017) Research has repeatedly found that daily dog walks help lose weight, since they force the owner to into moderate physical activity for 10 to even 30 minutes at a time. My dad walks my dogs with me every day, and I believe that is the reason that he is still in shape. In fact, in 2010, one small study discovered public housing residents who walked dogs five times a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds over the course of a year. (Johnson & Meadows 2010)

As we age, it becomes harder to get out and meet people. This is not the case for dog owners. Researchers have found that about 40 percent make friends more easily, possibly because the vast majority (4 in 5, according to one British study) speak with other dog owners during walks. “Dog owners in particular tend to be a little more extroverted, or outgoing” says Kay Joubert, Director Companion Animal Services at PAWS. “When you start to engage them about their pet, people tend to open up and really blossom. They want to share stories about their favorite friend.” 

Having a pet can save your life given the health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and stress, and can help against depression. Having a pet will teach you life skills like responsibility, respect, loyalty, and patience. Having a pet will keep you physically fit and give a structure to your day. So go and ask your parents right now if you can get a pet. Beg if you have to, because having a pet will change your life.