Dogs: Our best friends in health and illness.

Dogs: Our best friends in health and illness.
Dogs, often hailed as humans' best friends, have been the subject of many scientific studies on how they can enhance our well-being. In this spotlight, we will explain how your friendly puppy can benefit your health in all aspects.
Humans and dogs have likely shared a special bond of friendship and mutual support since at least the Neolithic period - but why was this bond so enduring?
Of course, these cousins of the wolves have historically been great at keeping us and our dwellings safe, guarding our homes, our livestock, and our various material possessions. Throughout history, humans have also trained dogs to help them hunt, or bred countless species that look peculiar for their cuteness or elegance.
However, dogs are also - and may always have been - truly valuable companions, famous for their loyalty and seemingly constant willingness to put a smile on their owners' faces.
Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study that showed that owning a dog reduces a person's risk of premature death by up to a third .
However, the benefits may appear thanks to a number of lifestyle factors that people tend to make after they decide to adopt a canine friend.
The most prominent lifestyle factor is physical activity. There's no way around it: if you own a dog, you need to commit to walking twice a day - and sometimes even more.
In addition, several recent studies - including one from the University of Missouri at Columbia and another from Glasgow Caledonian University in the UK - have found that adults aged 60 and older enjoy better health thanks to the "forced" exercise they get from walking their dogs.
Dogs can strengthen our health not only as we age, but also long, long before that: before we were even born.
Research published last year suggests that children who were exposed to dogs while still in the womb - as their mothers spent time with dogs during pregnancy - had a lower risk of developing eczema in early childhood.
Perhaps the most intuitive benefit of sharing your life and home with a canine friend is that dogs give you "feel-good vibes" almost instantly.
It's really hard not to cheer up, even after a hard day's work, when you are greeted with enthusiasm - often vocally - by a friendly dog.
Previous studies looked at in the review revealed that dog owners have more positive social interactions and that the presence of canine friends makes people more confident... and also more trustworthy.
In addition, dogs seem to reduce symptoms of depression and make people more resilient to stress. This is why dogs are often used as therapy animals.
Dogs are not only incredibly lovable and often very funny friends, whose mischief continually feeds the Internet's stock of memes; their company also keeps us in good physical shape. Moreover, their health problems - sadly but lovingly - often mirror our own.
Above all, however, we welcome them into our lives - and have done so since time immemorial - because they instantly bring us the kind of joy and calm that we would otherwise have to work hard to obtain.
A dog has about 125 to 300 million odor glands, while a human has about 5 million odor glands. This means that a dog's sense of smell is about 1,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than that of a human.
When you arrive home after a long and stressful day at work, you are greeted at the door by an overexcited four-legged friend. You can't help but put a smile on your face. Having a pet is undoubtedly one of life's greatest pleasures, providing companionship and laughter in abundance. But the benefits don't stop there; your pet may be doing wonders for your health and well-being.