Man's Best Friend

Man’s Best Friend

Popularized in the early 1900’s, the phrase “man’s best friend” is a colloquial name that refers to the 10,000 year-long relationship between humans and dogs. Thousands of years ago amidst forager societies, dogs were selected as hunting partners for their behavior and strength of scent. Within dense forests where human senses are inevitably weakened, a dog’s ability to sniff out and track prey significantly increased the success of hunters. Such major contributions to the health and stability of the hunter-gatherer civilizations eventually earned dogs their own proper names, burials, and families. Predictably, it was not long before dogs became the first domesticated species in the world. Between loyalty, companionship,

Physical health plays a key role in overall happiness and satisfaction with life. Dog-human interaction is recognized to improve physical health in several areas including physical fitness, cardiovascular health, and immune system development. In her work “Get Healthy; Get a Dog: The health benefits of canine companionship,” Judi Crouse reports that “having a dog leads to a more active lifestyle and dog owners are more likely to achieve recommended exercise levels than non-owners”. Regardless of the circumstances, dogs need and crave exercise. As a result, this instinctual need offers great incentives for the owner to get outside and be active. Both the dog and owner can benefit from physical activity together, as dogs make excellent exercise partners whilst providing essential social support (Smith 2). More importantly, this symbiotic relationship can be particularly advantageous for the physically unfit or obese, as the psychological boosts humans get from dogs inspires many other positive lifestyle changes. Similarly, a boosted activity level due to owning a dog leads to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress, further improving fitness and cardiovascular functions (Crouse). It is important to note that dogs not only provide means of exercise, they can also prevent certain respiratory conditions. Unique to children, exposure to dogs early in life significantly lowers the likelihood of developing allergies or asthma (Smith 2). Physical well-being is imperative to every person’s health and can ensure happiness well into the aging process. In any case, owning a pup unlocks a vast array of physical health advantages for the owner, improving quality of life