On How Dogs Support Mental Health
It is I (me? I? I!), your quintessential millennial pet parent, here to validate you utilizing all of your iCloud space on photos of your dog (often in the same adorable position.) I mean, if it’s good for your mental health, why not spend a little too much time googling “how to make sure your dog is happy” and canceling plans when you’re overwhelmed because “your dog” (read: you… okay fine, I…) has separation anxiety and needs you to stay home for extra snuggles?
When I was reminded that I was due to write a blog (*cough* thank you for the helping out a procrastinator, Caitlin *cough*), I was waiting for my tiny grandpa (dog, not human) to get released from his vet’s care (he’s alright, just a routine visit). So naturally my researcher brain decided to go on Google Scholar and pull up a handful of articles on how do I love this tiny being so much?! Although I wasn’t able to find any clear research-based answers on that in the literature (other than, I mean, c’mon… look at those ears, and those eyes, and that tiny little nose), I did find that many researchers agree: dogs are good for our mental health.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2021, approximately 63.8 million (~49.6%) of occupied housing units in the US have at least one pet. Of those, about 49 million had dogs. Dogs historically (for about the past 20,000 to 40,000 years, depending on which historians you ask) have been wonderful companions to humans. In regard to mental health, some date back the use of animals to support mental health all the way to the late 18th century in York, England. And although the importance of therapy and service dogs with specific training cannot be understated, most of the studies I looked at spoke, not about these highly trained and very impressive pups, but their everyday (far less intensively trained) floor-licking, peanut butter loving and tennis ball chasing snuggly siblings, our household pets.
are dogs good for your mental health?
Having frequent interactions with dogs (not even just our own, so don’t worry if you’re not in a place where you can have your own dog) has, in a number of studies, been found to be significantly associated with positive psychological outcomes across the lifespan. Just being around, playing with, petting, talking to, and even gazing into the eyes of our dogs has been found to increase oxytocin and dopamine (so-called “feel good” hormones) for the humans and the dogs alike, in many cases indicating a true emotional connection and bond.
Some super cool humans published an article applying the biopsychosocial model to dogs supporting human mental health, and discussed many studies in which dogs have been found to support their humans with depression, anxiety, and overall well-being as well as functioning in cognition, learning, and attention. Similarly, a few studies exploring dogs in the workplace found that individuals who owned a dog but were unable to bring them into work had the highest stress scores; whereas, folks who could bring their dog to work with them had the lowest stress levels in the study. Dogs might even help increase team work and group cohesion in some cases.
what is it about dogs that supports your mental health?
Although the reasons that dogs can support mental health are going to be different for all dog lovers, some possible reasons for this positive impact researchers have discussed are: the general calming presence of a dog (where applicable, we all know some wild and crazy hyper beans and love them just the same), the comfort a dog brings, being provided the structure and routine that dogs necessitate, having to go outside throughout the day for potty breaks and/or walks, and perhaps most importantly (in my highly biased opinion) unconditional love and emotional support.
Whatever the reason is for you, I hope you give a dog a pat and a snuggle today and allow yourself some time to gaze into their loving face today. And, before you ask no, of course this blog wasn’t only about me wanting to find an excuse to put a photo of my dog Zero on the Kindman & Co. website (okay, fine, maybe a little… c’mon, the ears!).
Courtney Rago is an empath, a critical thinker, a creative, and a questioner. They help creative individuals to get to know and celebrate all parts of themselves and their talents. They are passionate about supporting families and partners to build healthy relationships and feel more nourished by their intimate connections. Courtney firmly believes that we have the power to rewrite who society tells us we “should” be, challenging the status quo, and radically celebrating ourselves as an act of resistance. At heart, Courtney is a Jersey kid who talks fast, walks fast, drinks too much coffee, and reallyyyy misses Yankee games and NY bagels.
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