--- title: 9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog description: You're more social with a dog canonical: https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/ author: Business Insider article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-27T17:05:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:01.110Z og:title: 9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog og:description: You're more social with a dog og:url: https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c2839b8513943e0/6988612e196cf44fcf037c53/woman-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5232 og:image:height: 2943 og:image:alt: Woman sitting with dog on jetty, rear view og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog twitter:description: You're more social with a dog twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c2839b8513943e0/6988612e196cf44fcf037c53/woman-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog > Sponsored content. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: How Dogs Help Veterans Cope With Post-Traumatic Stress [Watch (HLS stream): How Dogs Help Veterans Cope With Post-Traumatic Stress](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8gW0ZGsw.m3u8) (5:11)  _Published 2010-11-11. Struggling with post-traumatic stress, veteran David Sharpe says he found a dog at a shelter that saved his life. Now, with a group called P2V, he pairs other vets with rescued pets._ by [Jessica Orwig / Business Insider](https://time.com/author/business-insider/) ## Jessica Orwig / Business Insider Aug 27, 2015 5:05 PM UTC  Woman sitting with dog on jetty, rear view Woman sitting with dog on jetty, rear view Getty Images by [Jessica Orwig / Business Insider](https://time.com/author/business-insider/) ## Jessica Orwig / Business Insider Aug 27, 2015 5:05 PM UTC Loyal, protective, and always happy to see you, the dog has been a human companion for more than 18,000 years, making it one of the first domesticated animals in history. Don’t just take our word for it. Scientists have proof that dogs make us laugh more than cats, keep us more active than the average human companion, and even reduce our chances of depression. So, if you need a little more convincing, or you need to convince someone else in the household, here are the cold, hard facts for why you should own a dog. **1\. Dogs Make Us Laugh** People who own dogs laugh more, according to a study published in the journal [Society & Animals](https://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/619%5Ftailsoflaughter.pdf). Researchers asked people who owned dogs, cats, both, or neither to record how often they laughed over the course of a day. Those who owned just dogs and both dogs and cats recorded laughing more than the other two groups. **2\. Dogs Are Loyal** The origin of today’s domesticated house dog reaches back to [between 18,800 and 32,100 years ago](http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38279/title/Origin-of-Domestic-Dogs/), when they evolved from wolves. Wolves are known for living in packs and developing strong bonds between pack members. It’s this pack behavior that’s what makes today’s dogs so loyal. [Stephen Zawistowski](http://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-dogs-so-loyal-2013-7), a science adviser at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, explains that dogs see their human owners as fellow members of their pack and, therefore, form the same close bond with their owners as they would with their canine brothers and sisters. **3\. We’re More Social With a Dog** In the U.K., a team of scientists at the [Universities of Liverpool and Bristol](http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/3/5/) found that UK residents with dogs were more likely to encounter other dogs and dog owners than people who did not own a dog. This makes sense, since dog owners are more likely to head out of the house on walks and run into other dog owners on their own strolls. Moreover, the average American is [more likely to own a dog](http://www.businessinsider.com/cat-and-dog-ownership-maps-2014-7) than the other common house pet, the cat. That’s more people to converse with about annoying dog hair. **4\. Dogs Keep Us Healthy** Dogs might even [protect us from poor health](https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/12/110746/research-shows-how-household-dogs-protect-against-asthma-and-infection). Children born into households with a dog have a lower risk of developing asthma and allergies, the reason being dust. A study published in the [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences](http://www.pnas.org/content/111/2/805.abstract) last year showed that when exposed to dust from households where dogs were permitted inside and outside, mice developed an altered community of microbes in their gut that protect against allergens. It was reported that these microbes could be what’s protecting young children from developing allergens in households with dogs. **5\. We’re More Active With Dogs** Obesity is a major concern today, so it’s important to get regular exercise. Researchers at [Michigan State University reported in 2011](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/forget-the-treadmill-get-a-dog/?%5Fr=0) that 60% of dog owners who took their pets for regular walks met federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise. Moreover, elderly people who walk their dogs actually have a more regular exercise routine and are more physically fit than the elderly who walk with other people, according to a study published in the [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20210264) in 2010. **6\. Dogs Save Lives** Dogs are not a cat’s best friend, but earlier this year one lucky cat in Florida was saved by a blood transfusion from, you guessed it, a dog. Some dogs have a universal blood-donor type, just like some humans, and when no cat blood was around for Buttercup, the veterinarian used what was on hand, which reportedly [saved the cat’s life](http://www.businessinsider.com/cat-gets-blood-transfusion-from-dog-2014-10). Dogs can also help humans by acting as an [early warning system](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0416%5F030416%5Fseizuredogs.html) for patients who suffer from seizures. Trained dogs can sense the onset of a seizure up to 15 minutes before it occurs and will bark when this happens, which then warns the patient to sit so to prevent injury from falling down, for example. How dogs know when a seizure is coming is still unknown. **7\. Dogs Give Us a Sense of Purpose** Dogs are great companions for anyone, but especially for the elderly. In a study published in the [Journal of Social Psychology](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8412041), elderly who owned a dog reported feeling more satisfied with their social, physical, and emotional state than those without a dog. **8\. Dogs Give Us Confidence** [In another study](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/pet-social-connectedness-young-adult%5Fn%5F4703790.html), participants obtained a dog and were assessed after 10 months with their new canine companion. In general, the participants reported a higher sense of self-esteem, improved exercise habits, and less fear of crime. **9\. Dogs Genuinely Make Us Happy** Just the simple act of making eye contact with your furry friend can release the feel-good chemical called oxytocin. [In a study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19124024) that measured oxytocin levels from two groups of dog owners, the group that was instructed not to look directly at their dog had lower oxytocin levels than the other group that made regular eye contact. Another study found that dog owners [who relied on their dogs](http://fyiliving.com/research/dogs-provide-owners-greater-mental-well-being/) for social fulfillment reported that “they were less depressed, less lonely, had higher self-esteem, were happier, and tended to experience less perceived stress.” _This_ [_article_](http://www.businessinsider.com/9-reasons-to-own-a-dog-2014-12) _originally appeared on_ [_Business Insider_](http://www.businessinsider.com/) _More from Business Insider:_ * [A couple planning to retire at age 33 explain how much money they have to save](http://www.businessinsider.com/frugalwoods-save-to-retire-early-2015-8) * [Here’s how much you need to earn to live comfortably in 15 major US cities while still saving money](http://www.businessinsider.com/salary-to-live-in-major-us-cities-2015-8) * [15 things you can stop wasting your money on](http://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-can-stop-wasting-your-money-on-2015-8) * [The 14 smartest purchases to make in your 20s](http://www.businessinsider.com/smartest-purchases-to-make-in-your-20s-2015-8) * [The incredibly simple way I’m saving $100 a month on coffee](http://www.techinsider.io/how-to-cold-brew-coffee-saves-money-time-2015-8) _Read next:_ [_5 Clever Ways to Save on Pet Care_](http://time.com/money/4011404/save-on-pet-care/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Download TIME’s mobile app for iOS to have your world explained wherever you go_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-mobile/id328218429) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/"},"headline":"9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog","datePublished":"2015-08-27T17:05:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:03:01.110Z","description":"You're more social with a dog","url":"https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/","keywords":["Newsfeed","animals","Dogs","Pets"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c2839b8513943e0/6988612e196cf44fcf037c53/woman-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Orwig / Business Insider"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c2839b8513943e0/6988612e196cf44fcf037c53/woman-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Woman sitting with dog on jetty, rear view","caption":"Woman sitting with dog on jetty, rear view","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4013104/reasons-to-own-dog-2/","name":"9 Science-Backed Reasons to Own a Dog"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How Dogs Help Veterans Cope With Post-Traumatic Stress","description":"Struggling with post-traumatic stress, veteran David Sharpe says he found a dog at a shelter that saved his life. 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