There are many pet lovers on this blog and the article below reaffirms your pet-loving lifestyles is not just emotionally but physically good for you. The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a scientific statement last week saying owning a pet may help to decrease obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol. Notably, for those of us who are dog lovers, dogs showed the greatest benefit for pet owners in terms of health benefits.
The study of more than 5,200 adults tied the benefits not only to walking their pets but the calming effects of pets. Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, stated “Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.”
Here is the most interesting stat from the article. About 78.2 million people in the United States own a dog while 86.4 million have a cat. Cat lovers outnumber dog lovers by roughly 10 million! As a dog lover, I assume this is because cats are easier to house and require less space.
Source: Reuters
Michael Powell, good point. I think, personally, it’s because those of us who are half-decent are demoralized, hopelessly angry, disappointed, and sunk in depressive realism. We want to have “feel good” moments. We look to our not-human companions for such moments. Right now among the homo sapiens, the inhuman to humane human ratio is just too damn high, and the nomenclature may have to change from homo sapiens to homo fecalocephalus.
“We need another like Church and another Congress…” -bettykath
We certainly do.
Michael,
You might try contacting Glenn Greenwald:
glenn.greenwald@guardiannews.com
(Author of “With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/series/glenn-greenwald-security-liberty
Great story. I had cats and dogs as a kid, but I am allergic to cats now so we have had Yellow Labs. They are a little nutty when people arrive, but they have and are a member of the family. Our current lab, Buster is at my feet as I type this. He is telling me it is time to go outside!
I think I remember years ago seeing pictures of retrievers with 3-5-7-more tennis balls in their moufs. Not sure what the record is!
The dog at the top of the story reminded me of a friend’s dog who looked just like this one. He always seemed to have three tennis balls in his mouth. If another could fit, surely it would be in there also.
Michael,
There have been articles here about the plight of Black men especially. They have consistently been stopped, searched, charged, found guilty on perjured evidence or coerced into pleading guilty to something they didn’t do, given tougher sentences. We know. We don’t like it. Our justice system isn’t, especially for Black men. Many of us here remember the civil rights movement and Black Panthers and what Cointelpro did to the Panthers. Frank Church exposed Cointelpro. We need another like Church and another Congress like the one that responded to his exposures. We don’t have either.
Why are storys about animals getting more play then what is happening to black men, when it comes to justice, all over this country???
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My two dogs are great companions. They anticipate their walks and sit by me when I am on the computer. I inherited these two dogs from my daughter and what could have become a burden has became a source of joy.
Great clip, AP. Thanks.
My daughter grew up in a family w/ dogs. She is now married and has suffered w/ anxiety and panic attacks. Her shrink suggested a dog. It has been as effective as meds. She chose a chihuahua. So, when she comes home for her birthday Memorial Day weekend I’ll have to pretend to like it.
anonymously posted, thanks for the video.
I had cats when I was working b/c I could more easily leave them home alone if I traveled for a few days. Most of them came to a tragic end. I have also had dogs. I prefer the dogs. I’ve had FB friends who post pictures of dogs at one shelter or another waiting for adoption (or else). Gorgeous dogs that would make good friends for nearly everyone but they won’t all get adopted. It’s so sad.
http://youtu.be/O0iRYycmlOI
“Cat lovers outnumber dog lovers by roughly 10 million! As a dog lover, I assume this is because cats are easier to house and require less space.”
Another theory is that cats are better at hypnosis …
I almost live in the country. Just outside of a small town but too close to the school and a road to have a dog right now. I’m trying to get moved to the farm we own and will have a dog or two if I do. There are a couple of cats here that I feed a regularly. They keep down the mouse and rat population and will worry a snake so much it will literally leave. I see them daily but they seem happy not having much human contact and stay in the barn when the weather is bad.
OS,
Thanks for the chuckle…. Maybe not everything is as it appears on the Internet… Lol
My daughter has a Pug named Percy. I don’t particularly care for Pugs, but she loves him and that is all that matters. Percy seemed to take a real liking to Darren when he was here. If Pugs have a job description written down somewhere, their primary duty is “lap sitting.” They are truly people dogs, and terribly dependent. Percy still roams around the house looking for my wife.
We had a German Shepherd named Trooper, and I truly miss him. He was a great moose of a dog, but he was both smart and loyal. When my youngest was a toddler, he babysat her when she went outside. If she got off the patio, he would get up, gently take her upper arm in that huge mouth and lead her back onto the patio. No one taught him that, he figured it out for himself. Trooper’s hips finally got so bad we had to have him put down. He would cry and gnaw on his hips, giving us this look, begging us to do something about the pain.
We have had three Pekingese. All have gotten run over. They were all inside dogs but loved to make a dash for the door when somebody went in or out. They are virtually untrainable. They are smart enough, and know exactly what you want, but do not obey commands, cajoling or offers of treats. That’s why they all got run over. They all ran out the door and into the street despite calling them. They knew what a whistle or offer of “bacon” or
“chicken” meant, but kept going anyway. They all loved the fake bacon Beggin’ Strips and chicken treats, but even that could not make them come back if they wanted to take off across the yard.
One of my daughters was given a beautiful Boxer. She kept him for a few months, ran an ad in the paper and got rid of him. She said that was the dumbest dog she ever saw. Not only couldn’t teach him anything, he got confused easily. I read up on Boxers, and from what I learned, they are the polar opposite of German Shepherds in the dog brains department.
I am a dog person. I like cats OK, but found I am allergic to them.
Having a dog companion also increases one’s social connectedness. Walking the dog keeps you “out and about” in the neighborhood and in touch with neighbors. Social connectedness is often cited as a factor contributing to goo health.
I love cats simply because cats are quietter, cutier, cleaner and more beautiful.
I concur…..no medical expertise needed….