Human interactions provide people with considerable social support and dog ownership can provide the social support, too.
Psychologists at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Saint Louis University in St. Louis conducted experiments examining the potential benefits of pet ownership among people.
The findings?
Pets serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive psychological and physical benefits.
There was evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions.
People who own pets are more physically fit and conscientious, have greater self-esteem, and tend to be less lonely and fearful.
Pet owners were just as close to key people in their lives as to their animals, indicating that pet relationships did not come at the expense of relationships with people.
Does any of this surprise you?
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