How can owning a dog help you?

Can owning a dog actually improve your life? Does your four-legged friend really help you...and what does it help me with? You're thinking.

It's true though. You're dog does help you to live a better and healthier life, whether you know it or not...and whether you like it or not.

Now who would actually want to drag themselves out of bed first thing in the morning and go outside for a walk? Not me, that's for sure. Not without a lot of grumbling and complaining...okay, I admit it..I'm not much of a morning person.

Well, once you have joined those of us who are the proud owners of a dog (or dogs), things are going to change! No more sleeping in on your days off. Oh no..What! Your dog will have no part of that!

Your dog will be sure to pester you until you get up and out of bed. Then, at least mine do, cavort in devilish glee all the way down the stairs while I'm still trying to focus on the first step down. It would probably help if my eyes were open...

So, of course.. I just knew it...they gotta go out! Then they wanna go for a walk. But of course they do! As I'm trying to keep my eyelids a tiny crack open. Blah...

Okay. It could be like it was before we put a fence around our back yard, and either I or my husband had to put their leashes on just to let them out...or I guess it was more like they took us out! Once the leash was on and we'd open the door the tiniest little bit, we'd go flying (at least it seemed almost like it) through it!

This hasn't been bad at all since we put a fence around our backyard, so at least they can do their business first. But of course, they still insist on going for a walk.

I hate to admit it, but if it wasn't for my dogs, I probably wouldn't be able to even drag myself around the block, let alone a mile or two every day. Sometimes even further.

Once I'm out there, I enjoy it. It's the getting going that's hard for me to do.

Effects of owning a dog on your health

Obviously, for me, it has been a great health benefit to own dogs since they make me get up and get out there. Although I whine and complain every time that they bug me in the mornings, they just ignore it and continue the pestering until I finally get up.

Dogs vs. personal trainer

Now what personal trainer would be that dedicated to come to your home and bug, pester, and all out annoy you until you get your butt out of bed? Probably not many, unless you paid them a lot of money. Even then, they might not, if they had to put up with someone that's a downright crab when woken up...no, that couldn't be me!

Just by taking the dogs out for a walk every day, even for 20 minutes or so, helps a whole lot of health factors. Walking is exercise, which means by going for a walk with your dog you are burning off calories and gaining some muscle or at least maintaining the muscles you have depending on how much walking you do and how fast.

Just by simple walking you are also helping to reduce stress and anxiety, which can lead to other health problems such as high blood pressure, headaches, feeling depressed, and other illnesses.

So, remember when your dog starts bouncing around in excited circles and you know what it wants.. to go for a walk of course...and you don't really want to but...it is only doing so for your health!