Dogs are the most common pet for people from all over the world. It is no surprise since they are intelligent and playful. Also, you can easily train them. It is like getting a new family member, and especially a good choice if you have children. They will have a lot of fun while playing around. Besides that, your kids will learn more about being responsible.
Moreover, there are many proven benefits of having a dog. For example, there was a huge increase in popularity during the pandemic, and that was great for people who had to stay at home for a longer time. There are both physical and mental benefits. When it comes to the impact on mental health, there are even special breeds for different conditions and ages. You can check a great example of the Therapy Dog Breeder if you visit habibibears.com.
There are benefits to keeping a dog as a pet, but therapy dogs can bring even more, especially if you or someone else in your home has a certain condition. For instance, it can be a great way to deal with depression and anxiety, while there are advantages to others, like autism, cardiovascular problems, and more. In this article, we will explore more about the impact of therapy pets on mental health.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety
This is among the main advantages and reasons to consider having a little friend in your home. Even if you don’t have any issues with your health, this will bring you more joy. On the other side, those who are facing problems like anxiety or depression will get even more from this solution.
First of all, the sense of comfort you get is amazing. It works much better than some medications. There are scientific facts related to that as well, such as the processes in your body, like the release of oxytocin and the decrease of cortisol.
Engagement with your pet will help you forget about things bothering you. Spending time with it can be calming, and that is very important for those with anxiety. Therefore, it is a distraction from issues and triggers that are the main causes of this condition.
Assistance for Different Mental Conditions
There are other health issues where having a therapy dog can help. For example, PTSD, ADHD, autism, and more. Those will the first two conditions will often experience mood changes, and the interesting fact is that the dog can sense that, and try to calm you down.
The role of trained pets is even more beneficial. While almost every dog when people are nervous, a trained one will also make the right moves to try to cheer you up. Another great thing is that you will manage to bring more control into your life. That is related to habits you need to implement, like walking your dog every day, feeding, cleaning, and playing around a lot.
Improved Emotional Health
It is crucial for people to become more aware of how mental health is important and that hiding things can lead to even bigger issues. There are different levels of typical issues like depression and anxiety. They can be triggered by various problems people are facing. For example, losing a job, getting divorced, losing a member of a family, and more.
Even feeling lonely for a long time or having issues with self-esteem can lead to these problems.
In that matter, a great solution to add more joy to your life and improve your mood is to get a therapy dog. The difference between them and regular pets is that they are trained to respond to your behavior in the right way. Therefore, they can sense when you are being nervous, having a panic attack, or struggling with anything else.
Better Social Interaction
Issues like lower self-esteem and stress when you have to deal with other people, can create a lot of problems. Those who lack confidence can find a solution for that by getting a therapy dog. Even if you don’t prefer getting social with other people, you will get a new friend in your home. Your life will quickly change since now you have to take care of someone. Also, that can become a motivation to step outside and start walking, going to dog parks. It is proven that this is a great way to meet new people.
Getting friends and meeting new people is quite simple due to the fact that a lot of people love dogs. You can expect that someone will always approach to you only to ask you something about your little friend. The bonus part is that a therapy dog knows how to interact with all people, and you don’t need to worry about it getting aggressive.
You Don’t Always Need a Special Breed
There are different types of therapy dogs specially trained to help people with different conditions. Some breeds are quite common. However, keep in mind that any dog can be a great solution for your problems.
The key is to get a breed that is intelligent and not aggressive. The main advantage of therapy breeds is that you will get a little friend that is already trained. On the other side, simply buying a puppy might require more work with it. Still, getting any type of dog is a great choice.
The Bottom Line
The most common types of special breeds are therapy and service dogs. Both serve in helping people in different situations. If you are facing emotional struggles, loneliness, or some mental issue, it can be a great way to at least distract yourself from what is bothering you most of the time.
In the end, even if you are not facing any problems, getting a pet is a great way to make your life more interesting. It can be a great way to meet new people, have more fun, ensure more fun for your kids, while enjoying in company of a pet that will always follow you and try to cheer you up.