5 Benefits of Getting a Puppy

1. Lowers Stress

Interacting with a puppy is scientifically proven to reduce stress; even simple acts such as petting the dog can lower stress-inducing hormones and instead increase feel-good hormones. Owning a dog also assists in lowering the feeling of loneliness by filling our need for touch and support.

2. Health

One thing pups are great for is helping us stay healthy; just being around them has been shown to decrease blood pressure. Owning a dog also means you are going to get more exercise from bathroom trips outside, walks, and even playing in the yard and/or park. Dogs can also be trained to help in many different types of medical emergencies, such as their owner being exposed to their allergy, or they can also be trained to smell the presence of some types of cancer. Certain breeds will notice this because of the fact the have 40-50 times the amount of scent receptors we do, creating a noticeable obvious chemical change for them. A few other medical issues dogs can notice are migraines, low blood sugar, and seizures, among others.

3. They can prepare you for the future.

If you decide you wish to be a parent later on, a puppy can prepare you in several different ways. A pup will get used to being dependent, whether that be for the bathroom, for food, or just to play. This will also include the to-come interrupted sleep, dealing with their messes, but most importantly, watching them grow with you. Dealing with a puppy is very similar to dealing with a child in a few ways. Responsibility is something that will be majorly improved the longer you have it and the more you learn to care for the dog; they can also be a good indicator as to whether or not you are ready to move on the the next stage in your life involving a child.

4. Best Time to Start Training

When your dog is still a pup is the ideal age to start training them. When they are seven to eight weeks, you will typically start to notice them beginning to learn and pick up on simple commands. Don't expect the world at that young of age, but it will surely impact how they behave from then on. When you train a dog in their young years, that becomes what they believe the right way to behave is, and they won't know any different. Training young has many extra benefits aside from from the main one of preventing worsened problems in behavior in their adult years. When they are just leaving their canine families, they are becoming attached to your own family, and because they are just young, they are adapting to the changing surroundings and absorbing as much as they can, shaping who they will become. Training is huge for both the pup and the owner as it shows them to a whole new world of responsibilities, often why a pup is brought up with a child so they can grow and learn together.

5. They are great lifelong companions.

Getting a puppy young means they will grow up beside you and be dependent on you. If you create a welcoming environment when you introduce them into your own home and bring them up gently and calmly, they will begin to fit in quite well. Once you establish yourself as the pack leader and provide good care for them, they will tend to be loyal to you and look up to you. Whatever happens, you know they will be there for you, and you will be there for them.