There is no doubt about the fact that a dog is man’s best friend! Some people will even put their love of their dog ahead of the love of their partner! Extreme though that may sound, it has taken over 15,000 years for dogs to have earned this distinction of offering unconditional love and affection. It didn’t take long for two intelligent species, man and dog, to find each other and develop a symbiotic relationship that enhanced both their lives. As man felt protected by the wolves that crept close to his camp, he knew they would give an early warning of any danger approaching. The wolves also knew that man would offer the prospect of warmth and food if they stayed around the campfire. Very soon a bond was struck that was to develop and last thousands of years.
There’s a favourite quote by an unknown author which describes so well the devotion offered by our loyal canine companions, ‘My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am’. That succinctly sums up the relationship and bond that dogs develop with their owners. It’s a sad fact that even when dogs are treated badly by their owner, they still can’t help but remain loyal towards them. This love, devotion and companionship offers numerous physical benefits to us too. Wide studies have shown an incredible array of not just physical but emotional and social benefits:
An increase in physical activity as people who own dogs have to care for them and offer them plenty of exercise.
A decrease in stress and lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that where stress, heart rate and blood pressure levels have been high, in the presence of a dog, they have lowered.
A lower cholesterol level has been found in patients who live with dogs compared with those that match their lifestyle but don’t have the benefit of living with a canine companion.
Increased longevity following a heart attack. Incredibly owning a dog increases the chances of the victims’ survival from 1 in 15 to 1 in 87.
Sensing the onset of a seizure seems an incredible thing for a dog to do but some people who experience periodic seizures have reported that their dogs can predict the onset of a seizure before they can themselves. Some dogs have been specifically trained to recognise change in the body so they can signal this to their owners and these alert dogs can be trained to offer signals from 15-45 minutes prior to the seizure taking place.
Likewise there are dogs that have been trained to alert owners to other conditions such as hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar, allowing their diabetic owners to correct the level before their condition becomes more serious.
It will come as no surprise that protecting these precious pets that are so highly valued in our lives is paramount to any dog owner. From choosing the right food, ensuring they get enough exercise and social activity to buying toys and a special bed, we have every right to spoil then like children. But what would happen if on an off lead walk your dog gets distracted by a scent or a sound and simply runs off? Having been in that situation myself, you simply don’t know what to do. Thankfully there are some amazing GPS dog tracker devices now on the market that can offer you the security that you will be able to track your beloved dog on your mobile phone until you are reunited. These tracking devices are of particular importance and offer peace of mind especially at a time when dog theft is more prevalent allowing you to reach your dog before they can come to any harm.
Considering the special affect dogs have on our lives, it really is no wonder that a 15,000 year old connection remains strong. They make us laugh, they offer unconditional love and affection, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to our problems and a warm, furry body to hug. Dogs in our lives are here to stay!