How Pets Improve Your Mental Health

Pets have been around since forever. Now more than ever, people are adopting all different types of pets to add to their families. While this blog post focuses on dogs (my personal favourite pet), the mental health benefits can be applicable across the board for any pet. If you’ve been wondering

whether your fluffy friend (or scaly- we love them all) positively impacts your mental health, I can confidently say: YES! Check out my blog below for more!

My Personal Story

Most people who know me or follow me on social media will probably be shocked to hear this but I actually was PETRIFIED of dogs. And when I say petrified, I mean literally shivering, needing to walk on the opposite sidewalk type of scared. Mind you this was when I was 5 years old, but my parents quickly decided that something needed to be happen with this and gifted me my very first dog at the age of 7. I fell in love with Shamu (my Shetland Sheepdog and first ever dog) the moment I saw him and thought he was a guinea pig (he was THAT small!). From that moment on, I became obsessed with anything to do with dogs (and other animals too) and would constantly dream about owning a farm and being surrounded by animals.

My next dog I famously “tricked “ (we have a difference of opinion on this) my dad into getting me when I turned 14. I was browsing online and probably scrolling through random dog pics (as one does at this age) and stumbled upon the CUTEST black and white fluffball that looked like a skunk. I (again) instantly fell in love and persuaded my dad to take me “just to look” at him. Of course we

brought him home (I knew he was the one when he jumped out of his pen at the pet-place and into my arms) and from then on I became enamoured by Pepita (my first Pomeranian and who I would call the love of my life). 16 years later, we lost him and it was both the worst and hardest day of my life (which I still to this day struggle with speaking on because it still feels so raw). Pepita was by my side through so many difficult chapters of my life and also some of the greatest. This brings me to my current floof, Fitzy. Again, random scrolling online brought me to convincing my fiancé that I NEEDED this puppy. Fast forward to now, and we are both obsessed (me probably more so- sorry Dan), by Fitzy, who’s about to turn 1 and is the most rambunctious and happiest baby fluffball I ever did see. Besides these three loves, I have had 3 other family dogs, a sheltie, a daschund (who is the grumpiest and also cuddliest dog ever) and an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie cross who thinks I’m a personal sheep and enjoys herding me. I could go on and on about all 6 of these special babies, but I think you get the gist: I LOVE DOGS.

So What are the Mental Health Benefits of Having a Dog (or pet)?

There are SO many benefits that dogs bring to us- I’ve laid out my top 3 here:

1. Addressing loneliness: I don’t know about you, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, often times the only “person” I was seeing, was my dog Pepita. He was my source of comfort, joy, and sometimes conversation (and yes, he did talk back to me lol). Dogs can help us when we feel down, sad, angry, upset, (insert any emotion here) because they provide physical comfort in the form of holding them, petting them, having them nestle up alongside you, etc. They can also provide companionship in just physically being near us.

   
   

2. Motivation, Physical Exercise and Accountability: when you have a pet, you are (hopefully) committed to taking care of them. With dogs, this includes needing to walk them and spend time with them. For people who struggle with motivating themselves to get outside and move their bodies, dogs can be super helpful with keeping you accountable in meeting those needs. There’s nothing better (in my opinion) than grabbing your furry friend and heading out for some Vitamin D, fresh air, and movement after a particularly challenging day.

   
   

3. Lessen Symptoms of Anxiety: studies have shown that petting a dog can lower cortisol, a stress hormone. The act of petting a dog can help by grounding us and allowing us to regulate our breathing, slow down our movements, and have a different tactile experience (fur). This can help us to focus on calming down and re-regulating our nervous system when it becomes activated. On the other hand, the social interaction between you and your dog can increase your feel good/happiness hormone Oxytocin (which is the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies!)

Source: hopkinsmedicine.org

Ok so now what? What do I do to see the benefits?

I usually start with a self-care plan that just happens to include your furry  friend. This can be a goal of walking once per day, or sitting and doing some deep  breathing while your dog lays down next to you (as long as your pet isn’t as hyper  as mine and can sit still for a few minutes), or even just petting your dog for 2-3 minutes uninterrupted while focusing on breathing and the tactile sensations that  come with petting something soft. Other tips can include spending time socially  with your dog and other pet parents to boost social skills and lessen social based  anxiety symptoms and trying to incorporate movement of the body at least for 30  minutes daily. 

What if I can’t afford a pet right now? 

There are so many ways to do this! You don’t need your own dog to get the  benefits of community and the joy they bring by being around them. Here are  some other ways to participate: 

1. Volunteer at an animal shelter- there are programs at most humane  societies that will allow you to help in the shelters, walk the dogs, socialize them,  or participate in admin related duties all while being surrounded by the energy the  dogs (and other pets) bring! 

   
   

2. Join along on a walk with a friend who has a dog – if you are a dog lover  but not yet ready to commit to having a furry friend of your own, join along on a  group walk with a friend who’s part of a community like TO Dog Walk Club! The  more the merrier and you may get to meet some great people (and dogs!) 

   
   

3. Collaborate and help out at a community event that has dogs- offer to  volunteer in some capacity or reach out and ask how you can support a dog  walking club or community.