Dogs can improve our health condition
There are many people that could not imagine life without a pet. Apart from showing love, protection and companionship, dogs are not considered mere animals. They provide moral support and improve our health condition, they support their owners during difficult times, like stress, anxiety or other more difficult conditions.
Dogs, as per specific surveys, given their highly developed olfactory senses, are able to provide valuable signals, like in cancer detection, early warning of a stroke or dropping of blood sugar levels. There are some diabetic alert dogs that are able to warn their diabetic human owners of a health-threatening drop of blood sugar levels before its actual onset, and therefore such owners may prevent a seizure by consuming sweets. These dog skills are explained by their reaction to physiological changes, which release a specific odor.
A highly important issue is the case of children with attention deficit disorder – with or without hyperactivity – or with autism. These children are so energetical that sometimes they display attention focusing difficulties. While caring for a pet, they have specific tasks that require attention and accountability. The connection between the child and his / her pet supports building of self-confidence and provides a peaceful and safe environment. Autistic children also show deficits in interaction with other persons. It has been shown that pets have an amazing capacity to attract and retain attention, supporting children to engage in sensorial integration activities, thereby facilitating their daily activities.
In the case of Caucasian Shepherds, their training and socializing needs can improve emotional symptoms in people with low energy, solitude and depression, as these dogs need their owners to be engaged and dedicated to the training sessions.
In addition, dogs may cause their owners to lead a more active life. Some of these owners rarely exercise, although exercise is good for one’s health. But in order to keep their dog happy, they must walk for at least one-half an hour a day, a good exercise for both the pet and his owner. In addition, this is an efficient method to prevent obesity, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Some dogs were trained to live and work with epileptic patients, others were trained to bark and warn the parents when the children have seizures and when they are out of their visual range. There are some tasks that can be performed by dogs to support Parkinson patients to lead a longer and independent life. These dogs can fetch necessary objects. They can open and close doors, or turn on the light using their paws.
At the end of the day, no matter your health condition, your overall state will be surely improved by the presence of such a loyal and loving companionship. It is good to know about different breeds and their possible skills in respect to different diseases in case you want to ease the life of someone you love.
