OPINION: Why Everyone Should Have a Dog
As a junior in high school, I spend a lot of time thinking about college. As the parent of a junior in high school, my mom spends even more time thinking about college. She is not a helicopter parent and does not obsessively initiate college-oriented conversations, which I appreciate. However, this does not prevent her from asking deep, nostalgia-inducing questions about my future such as, “What do you think you’ll miss most when you leave home?”
It took me a while to come up with an answer for this one - I could have said my family, or her cooking, if I was in the mood for flattery. But I didn’t say any of those things . When I finally leave the nest, I will miss my friends and family, but I will miss my dog most of all.
Now, my dog, Seamus, is not going to win any prizes for beauty or brains or talent any time soon. He is badly behaved (our fault), eats garbage off the street when he goes for walks, (our fault), whines incessantly (our fault), and is just plain weird-looking (not his fault, but certainly not ours, either). But he loves every person in my family unconditionally - even my dad, who has put far more effort into disciplining him than anyone else and is therefore his least favorite member of our pack. In fact, forget the pack, Seamus loves anyone who walks through our front door .
My family has always kept dogs. I grew up around them, and in my opinion no childhood is complete without at least one. My dogs stood watch next to my crib when I was an infant and played with me as I got older. They kept me company while I did homework and reminded me to put down my books and get out of the house. When I travel away from my family, the sight of other people with dogs makes me agonizingly homesick. Also, the fact that we adopted our last two dogs from animal shelters gives me a feeling of great moral superiority and a considerable confidence boost in my worth as a human being, which is always nice to have. But even those who buy their dogs from breeders can experience emotional fulfillment from dog ownership.
I understand that some households cannot keep dogs due to allergies to hair and dander. Many people simply do not like dogs or animals in general. There are legitimate reasons for this: dogs are expensive and require a lot of work to train and care for. However, dog owners reap a host of benefits from their pets, both physically and mentally.
Some people find dogs to be disgusting, and it is true that they are covered in germs. But even the most ardently sanitary germaphobes should take heed: people who live with dogs have stronger immune systems because of their constant exposure to these pathogens. Dog owners tend to get sick less frequently and with less severity than people who own cats or no pets at all. Additionally, children who grow up around dogs are less likely to develop allergies later in life. Pregnant women who own dogs are less likely to give birth to children with allergies and conditions like eczema. I can attest to both of these virtues - my mother lived with dogs when she was pregnant with me and I was surrounded by them during my childhood, and I have virtually no allergies and get sick rarely. Studies have also shown that dog ownership improves heart health. The simple act of petting a dog lowers heart rate and blood pressure. Personally, I don’t even have to pet my dog in order to feel less stressed - simply having him in a room with me creates a happier, more relaxed atmosphere.
Dog owners are also less likely to suffer from depression than people who do not own dogs or owners of other types of pets. The act of caring for and receiving affection from an animal can help even clinically depressed people feel more positive, sometimes more effectively than medication and drugs. Dogs are particularly beneficial for mental health because caring for one requires establishing a routine and going outside regularly, which gives dog owners more opportunities to exercise and socialize - two opportunities not bestowed nearly as easily upon the petless or those who own other types of pets. I once knew a person who cared deeply about his pet snake, but snakes are not the most affectionate of creatures, nor are they particularly conducive to social interaction.
It may seem odd that I anticipate missing Seamus more than anything else when I finally leave for college. It is not because I love pets more than I love people, but Seamus will be the only member of my family with whom I will not be able to communicate with through the use of technology. I will undoubtedly miss his comforting presence when dealing with stress, and I will have to find a way to drag myself away from my books without his constant whining reminder to take him outside.
I am not advocating for people to go out , buy a dog , and expect it to act as a panacea for all life’s ills. Dogs deserve devoted owners who will love them for their own sake., in all their
happy-furry-sometimes-badly-behaved-and-disgusting glory. But I am advocating for able families with the option of adopting a dog to do so, because it will greatly improve their quality of life.
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