Owning A Dog = Living Longer & Happier

[samoyedman]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health/owning-a-dog-may-help-you-live-longer-happier-study/story-fni0dguz-1227503426955

DOGS are said to be a man’s best friend and now scientists are out to prove it.

University of Sydney researchers are about to put the exercise, psychological and social benefits of owning a dog to the test in a laboratory.

They want to find out if dog owners live longer, are less likely to develop heart disease, can a dog help beat depression and improve social contact and does the act of dog walking prevent disease.

And the research is being co-ordinated by a man who used to ban his partner’s dog from his home.

Until five years ago Associate Professor Manos Stamatakis was indifferent to dogs until one pooped in his kitchen and then hid in a corner in shame.

“I realised he was embarrassed and ashamed and that was the turning point for me, I realised dogs understand a lot more than I thought and he was trying to communicate with me and I was blocking it,” he said.

It wasn’t long before the dog, Rufus, was sleeping on his bed.

“I began to see how dogs could expand human emotional horizons,” he says as the idea for his research was born.

In one research project people who adopt a dog from the RSPCA will have a state of the art inclinometer strapped to them to test how often they walk the dog, how fast they walk their dog and whether they sit less if they own a dog.

Healthy habits ... People who adopt a dog from the RSPCA will be studied to see if it makes a difference to their exercise regimes.

In another research project the dog owners will have blood tests in a laboratory-controlled experiment to see if the levels of the love and bonding hormone oxytocin increases when their dog enters the room.

Oxytocin is seen as good for your health because it activates the parasympathetic nerve and lowers blood pressure.

Other research as part of the program is checking whether dog owners live longer than owners of cats, birds, fish or rabbits and whether they die of different diseases.

The research is being conducted in collaboration with the RSPCA and brings together experts in public health, physical activity and exercise, disease prevention, behaviour change, health psychology, human-animal interactions, and canine health.

Furry friend ... Owning a dog can overcome isolation when people live alone or are depressed. As part of the research the RSPCA will trial a program where it runs an outreach program for elderly people who have dogs but can’t look after them because of ill health.

RSPCA workers will visit the person’s home to help care for the animal.

Researchers hope their work will shed light on not only how dog ownership influences human health, but also on how these benefits could be harnessed as part of the health care system.

Thirty-nine per cent of Australian households own a dog, and of these around two-thirds are estimated to be under-walked. Professor Stamatakis wants to work on interventions to increase dog walking.

“We know that with older age comes increasing isolation, and with that comes loneliness. It’s a major cardiovascular disease risk factor, it’s a major cancer risk factor, and it’s a major risk factor for depression,” Associate Professor Stamatakis said.

“One aspect of human isolation can be addressed simply by owning a dog, because of their companionship, unconditional acceptance and love that humans often do not get from other people.

Professor Stamatakis is now the proud owner of two rescue dogs Rozi and Bator that he adopted while living in Hungary. He speaks Greek and English but the dogs only understand Hungarian.

“The only Hungarian I can speak is dog,” he says.

“Come here is “gere ide” and sit is “oul”,” he says.

[The Spotted Devil]

I hope he knows more about measuring human health than he does about dog behaviour. Embarrassed and ashamed for pooping in the kitchen? *sigh*

[LisaCC]

I hope he knows more about measuring human health than he does about dog behaviour. Embarrassed and ashamed for pooping in the kitchen? *sigh*

I was thinking the same thing.

[raineth]

I hope he knows more about measuring human health than he does about dog behaviour. Embarrassed and ashamed for pooping in the kitchen? *sigh*

I was thinking the same thing.

As was I

Edited August 28, 2015 by raineth

[Amax-1]

Dogs are pretty good at relieving stress and neutralising anger, anxiety and sadness and they good at causing stress when they are playing up too :laugh: