5 Ways Owning a Doxie is Beneficial to your Health!
More and more studies are coming out all the time that show owning a dachshund is good for your health. From stress to allergies, our canine friends have us covered. Here are some of our favorite ways that adopting a new sausage dog could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
1. Dog owners are more active.
While at first, you might think this is just a random coincidence, think again. How many minutes per day do you spend on your feet that you wouldn’t if you weren’t a proud sausage dog parent? Probably a lot, right?
Whether you’re chasing them around the garden, taking them on a walk or just playing with their favorite squeaky toy in the living room, dog owners are more active than non-dog owners. In fact, one study that came out last year showed that older dog owners take nearly 3,000 more steps each day on average, as compared to non-owners.
2. Children in dog-owning families are less likely to have asthma.
Yep, exposure to dogs on the regular as a baby can decrease the risk of childhood asthma at age 6. The connected study found that exposure to dogs during the first year of a child’s life can mean that a child has a 13-percent lower risk of asthma as a school-age child. Turns out that exposure during a child’s formidable years leads to higher immune resistance, both when it comes to asthma and allergies.
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This is also related to a benefit for older dog owners, who become ill less often, thanks to a better immune system. The next time your doxie lies on your pillow maybe cut them some slack. They’re helping you out, after all!
3. Dogs reduce stress.
Dogs reduce stress in a variety of situations — maybe that’s why they make such good companion animals! Studies have shown that just a few minutes sitting with your dachshund and interacting with them can lower your anxiety and your blood pressure, and increase your serotonin and dopamine levels. Plus, dogs have been shown to lower stress and increase harmony both in the workplace and in married households.
4. Dogs stave off depression.
For dog owners with depression, it’s easier to avoid a depressive episode, or to get out of one, when your dog is around. Dogs require a certain amount of stability and routine, and this can help you get out of your funk a little quicker than if you didn’t have anything demanding you get off the couch and play with them, darn it! Plus, how could you stay sad for too terribly long when you’ve got a lovely little doxie face looking up at you?
5. Dogs increase heart health.
Dog owners experience hearth health benefits including decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Dog owners also have a lower risk of heart disease (must be all that walking and chasing). Additionally, non-dog owners who survive a heart attack are more likely to die within a year than a dog owner is.
