A recent study at the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that petting your dog for 15 minutes can lower your blood pressure and help you feel better. The study showed that the best results are when you touch your own dog.
Touching helps the dog and the owner. The dog‘s blood pressure dropped as soon as its human touched it. The human^s blood pressure began to drop after touching the dog for 15 minutes. This change happens naturally. It is not learned. The human body increases the level of serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin, chemicals that make people feel better. Touching a dog also reduces the amount of cortisol, a chemical that increases stress in people.
Dogs have been shown to help people who are depressed, who are in pain, and in children who are very frightened. For many people, touching their dog has the same relaxing effect as eating chocolate. Dogs help older people feel better. Many people get their exercise by walking their dog
Dogs do not replace medicine but they can help people feel better in a very special way.
Tags: dogs, Lifestyle, stress
