Three reasons why having a canine member of the family will promote wellness.
Did you know that first dog was domesticated to be the pet we know and love today over 14,000 years ago? With that much practice, they’ve become professionals at captivating our hearts and improving our health. From service dogs, to therapy dogs, to just good companion dogs, every dog seems to have the same goal: improve their humans’ lives. The other day I was sitting with my family while we watched, mesmerized by our dogs playing together endlessly. It was then that we began talking about the many benefits of dog ownership. In the end, we concluded that having a canine family member is not only good for the family, but also really important for family wellness. Here are the top three reasons we came up with that having dog has improved each of our lives:
- Year Round Activity: Dogs need to go outside, every single day, multiple times a day, for as long as possible for them to be mentally and physically healthy. They require more than just a few quick walks to use the bathroom each day, they need to sniff things, explore and be able to run free. In Alaska the wintertime makes walking the dog and staying active more challenging. While we can ignore our own exercise needs from time to time, dogs can’t and shouldn’t. So having a dog really helps keep families active year round. Growing up we always took our dog sledding with us and he loved it!
- Love and Loyalty: I have never met a healthy dog that didn’t get overly excited to see their loving human. The love that dogs give to their humans is unconditional and unwavering. Having that in your family is never a bad thing, whenever I am sad or frustrated I can snuggle with my dogs, letting their love and soft fur melt away my troubles.
- Responsibly: Owning a dog is huge and constant responsibility. Assuring that they are safe, healthy and happy is a never-ending chore that is always very rewarding. It takes more than just walking and feeding the dog to be a good dog owner. Regular play time with the dog, challenging it and training it is not only really good for the dog, but good for the family too. Challenging my dog to new tricks growing up was always so fun and rewarding.
Check back next week to learn about three cold weather activities to help your family beat the wintertime blues!
