Lindsay Holmes from Huffington Post wrote this article on how our dogs know us better than anyone else. This is amazing information to me. These tips and information will hopefully help you as much as they helped me to understand how and why my dog just seemed to give more love and comfort when I was sad, because she knows! Thank goodness for dogs and their unconditional love. I am so grateful for this! We all have sad and lonely times in our lives and I am so thankful that I have a dog that DOES know me better than anyone else! Here are some tips and information for you!
1. They Can Help Reduce Anxiety
One study out of Georgia State University found that dogs can reduce feelings of stress and loneliness in college students, and research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that owning a pet can make us happier overall.
2. They Get Jealous
Dogs get jealous too, according to one study conducted by the University of California, San Diego. Researchers found that dogs displayed signs of the emotion when they saw their owners interacting with a stuffed, animatronic dog.
3. We Naturally Bond With Them
Our connection with canines may all come down to a hormone in our brains — something we biologically produce on our own. When we cuddle with our pet, oxytocin is released and it may cause dogs to pay better attention to their humans.
4. They Can Read Our Facial Expressions
Dogs can tell if we’re happy or angry by reading the emotions on our face. Proving our pups really are sensitive to our feelings and behaviors (and perhaps explains why they just know when you’re going through that rough breakup).
5. They Help Us Heal
Dogs don’t just bring up comfort in our own homes, they relieve the stress of others who may be suffering traumatic setbacks. Therapy dogs, used for catastrophic events like the Boston Bombings and even for veterans who’ve returned from their tours, bring a big light to situations otherwise laced with darkness.
6. They Consider Us Family
We know they’re a part of our family — right down to a photo on the Christmas card — but it turns out they also consider us part of theirs as well. Researchers examined brain scans of canines and found that they not only love us, they see us as part of their tribe and rely on us more than their own breed for affection and protection.
7. They Love Us for Exactly Who We Are
It doesn’t matter what your hobbies are, what kind of money you make or if your hair color is purple, dogs accept you for who you are, no matter the circumstances. And boy, do they know how to show it.
Source: Every Day Health/Huffington Post