I enjoy dogs tremendously. I really do! They are fun to be around and fun to cuddle. Dogs are almost always happy to see me, and I oblige by spoiling them silly with treats and scratches in areas they can’t often reach.
Yet, I don’t believe owning one would work in my case because I have the patience of a toddler.
However, researchers have discovered that owning a pet not only does wonders for your heart, but it can help to expand your lifespan, too.
According to an article appearing in SuperAging News, four scientific studies have come to the same conclusion.
The first study was produced by the American Heart Association. That group found owning a dog was highly beneficial because it required owners to get up and move, especially by taking the furry friend for walks. The association noted that walking has been proven to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Here’s where I disagree. Most dogs want to go out, then come in, then go out 15 minutes later, then come in again. While getting up from the chair and walking to to the door to let the pooch in can have benefits for your heart, playing that game more than twice an hour puts a great strain on my patience.
In Arizona, there are too many wild creatures, like coyotes, which enjoy snacking on small pets. So, you can’t just open the door and let Fido wander in the yard. That means owners have to put the dog on a leash or stand outside with them.
I love dogsitting, but even that can task my patience. Take Trixie for example. She’s my friend’s shit tzu who views all humans as servants. Taking her for a walk takes far longer than expected because she must stop and smell every plant and rock before deciding on the best place to leave her mark.
But, I digress.
The second study was reported by Science Daily. It discovered that owning a pet greatly increased survival rates for heart attack and stroke survivors.
That makes sense, especially if a person is the sole caregiver of a pet. The desire to get better just to be able to care for the animal would be a big motivator to do the physical therapy necessary to get out of bed.
A Swedish study confirmed dog owners have a reduced risk for all types of mortality. There is a reason dogs are called “man’s best friend.” The loyalty of a dog makes them ideal companions, especially for seasoned citizens.
Cats are reported to have the same beneficial impact. A study in the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine showed that cat owners have a reduce risk of dying from a heart issue.
There was no word on cats shredding their owners in their sleep just because they feel like it.
I have a friend whose teenage son is highly skilled at raising reptiles, like boa constrictors, as well as big hairy spiders. No way! There is no way having one of those creatures would ensure longevity for me or the critter. One of us would quickly meet Jesus.
I have owned several pets over the years:
Dreamer was my favorite. He was a farm-born black Labrador retriever with a never-ending desire to chase tennis balls.
Frosty was a purebred American Eskimo who was skilled at protecting the house by barking an anything that came in or near the yard. That included delivery drivers.
Late one night, she started barking incessantly at the front door. So, I got up and let her outside. She ran a few steps, paused, and took off barking and running into the night. A few minutes later, she came back home with her head held high. The next morning, we discovered someone had broken into my car. A few weeks later, my daughters discovered items from my glove compartment in the corn field behind our house.
I can only assume Frosty had taken a bite out of crime, and forced the thief to drop the loot.
My youngest daughter wanted a cat in the worst way. She was told she could have one if she showed responsibility by keeping her room clean for a whole month.
Two years later, she made the commitment to do just that. Socks had a propensity to sit on my chest and rub her nose hard into mine. One summer, she disappeared. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. We assumed the worst.
But, one day, my daughter was playing at a neighbor’s house a block away when she hear meowing under their deck. Sure enough, a skinny Socks came wandering out. Where she had been for four months was anyone’s guess.
My last pet was Buddy, a beagle mutt I picked up at the Branson animal shelter while I was full-time RVing. Buddy proved I no longer had the patience for raising pets.
After whatever medication the shelter had given him to make him appear to be calm, he chewed through every wire underneath the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat as well as microphone cables, extension cords and my laptop power cord.
When he got shocked after biting into a life wire, that cured his appetite for cords. When I would let him outside, he would make like a Ditch Witch and fling dirt between his back legs like a professional. His digging habit, combined with his ability to howl like a beagle, made him — and me — unwanted guests at campgrounds.
The final straw occurred when I awoke in the middle of the night to a foul, familiar smell. I looked all over for the pile, but couldn’t find it. Breathing a sign of relief and thinking that he just had a bad case of gas, I reached for the leash. As I was exiting the RV, I saw a big pile of dog poo on the middle of my motorhome dash.
Buddy went to live with my middle daughter, who already had two other dogs. She quickly renamed him Rowdy. It fit.
If you are on the fence about having a pet, consult the story at SuperAging News. There are lots of benefits to pet ownership, and lots of memories. The furry friends have a special knack for weaving their way into our hearts in memorable ways.
