How Does Owning a Dog Affect a Family’s Health Issues?

Aristides Rodriguez

Professor Watson

Univ 200

11/10/15

How Does Owning a Dog Affect a Family’s Health Issues?

        When a family tends to have different kinds of problems of health, is there something that can improve their well-being and get them in a better condition? Many different families tend to have multiple problems of cardiovascular health, serious illnesses such as autism, or even the issues revolving around depression. This can seriously affect a family home, because of the challenges that come with having an issue of health. Adopting a dog from a local pet store would fill the requirements for a family in need of cheering up. A dog as a pet can be an entertaining and loveable responsibility, but it can also be very rewarding. In some ways, dogs as pets can be much more rewarding than others believe.

        Although dogs as pets can be a great choice for a family, they can also have their negative outcomes of having them at home. This can vary between each species of the animal, but some gradually are similar costs. The info graphic named The True Costs of Owning a Dog: Price vs. Benefits (Golden meadows retrievers) explains some of the overall outcomes to owning a pet. Furthermore, the image is divided into two sections, the costs and the benefits of dog ownership. What is wrong with the picture?  What is shown from the primary text that is contrary to what would be good for a family owning a dog? Are there critical problems to taking care of a dog?

        There are of course challenges to owning a pet, but there are also much more overall benefits to having a dog at home. Many observed benefits can be approved from experience at home, but some are unnoticeable yet can make a huge difference to the members of a family. Dogs being owned by families can help with different types of health issues and can improve their health conditions. Any species of dog as a pet can assist with a variety of different health benefits such as increasing social opportunities, keeping cardiovascular health stronger and assisting families as a trained pet for special needs. The benefits can improve overall health and make a better home for a family.

        When a family adopts a dog, they consider it just because they believe it is a good pet to have at home. But there are many more reasons that determine having a dog, in which they have many benefits that can help any member of the family. This certain type of animal as a pet can improve a family member’s lifestyle. Dogs as pets can give you the benefits of social opportunity and create better relationships in anyone’s life. Along with social aspect, dogs can determine more social interactions with more people because of the attractions people have towards dogs, thus making the opportunity possible when you have the dog with you. In Pet Ownership and Human Health: A Brief Review on Evidence and Issues, June McNicholas reports that “Thus companionship may be important in fostering positive mental health on a day to day basis, whereas social support may be of particular value in buffering threats to mental health and wellbeing from real or perceived stressors” (11). The author states that having a dog as a companion can give a person good mental health, including when the dog owned helps create a social atmosphere, it has a value in helping against things such as stressing out. This can help family members feel less lonely and relieve stress, depression, or anxiety. Furthermore, the study of June McNicholas specifies that, “Ninety-two percent of subjects reported that people frequently stopped to talk with them when they were out with their dog” (54). This piece of evidence is strong because the majority of people that were picked to answer questions for the study have agreed that more social interactions occur when they are out with their dog rather than alone. This brings better health to a family member as they can have a possibility of meeting more people, gaining more friends, and have less stress to result in better mental health for each member of the family. The results of a dog helping a family with social issues can make the family happier and healthier, in which sets a better mood at home. This is how a dog can bring a family closer with its benefits.