The history of dogs as pets stretches back tens of thousands of years ago, when dogs were first domesticated from grey wolves. Initially, the tamest wolves might have approached human settlements in search of food. Our pre-historic ancestors soon realised the usefulness of dogs for hunting and guarding purposes.
As mentioned, this early alliance between humans and dogs was mutually beneficial, particularly at a time when hunting and protection were vitally important. Today most people recognise that the benefits of owning a pet go beyond hunting and guarding.
Dogs today are trained to assist people with disabilities, or to become therapy dogs for those struggling with mental health issues. As companion animals, studies have demonstrated that dogs benefit human health by promoting physical activity, helping with difficult life situations, diminishing heart disease risk factors, as well as alleviating depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
Dogs’ influence over human lifespans
One study compared married couples with a pet to couples that didn’t own one, and concluded that resting heart rates and blood pressure were lower among pet owners than in the control group, and that pet owners recovered faster from stress. (source) Additionally, mong pet owners aged 50–83 with mild hypertension, the presence of a dog was associated with lower blood pressure, increased happiness, and reduced feelings of anger, frustration, and irritation.(source)
Another study, from 2018, made headlines with the claim that dog owners live longer. The 12-week study concluded that owning a dog was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in single households and with a reduced risk of cardiovascular and all-cause death in the general population.
It is important to consider that the risk of heart disease may also be linked to allergies and asthma, due to higher levels of inflammation, reduced physical activity, depression, or obesity. Several studies suggest that growing up in a home with a pet reduces the risk of suffering from allergies or asthma. Besides reducing allergy and eczema risk, one-year old babies who grew up with a pet in their home, had a stronger immune system. (source)
Keeping dogs healthy
Today, dogs are treated like family members and therefore deserve the best care. To ensure dogs live a healthy and long life, we should ensure that their diet includes healthy ingredients.
Omega-3 fatty acids have become a common ingredient in a wide range of petfood products. A unique, natural, and sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acids is krill, a shrimp-like crustacean living in the southern ocean. Included in petfood, it not only contains omega-3 fatty acids, but also highly digestible proteins and other important nutrients. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for pet health has been proven in numerous studies, showing benefits for heart, kidney, liver, joint, brain, eye, skin, and coat health.
While dietary supplementation of dogs with omega-3s from krill is good for dog health, indirectly it also benefits dog owners” health, since owning a pet has been shown to improve human health.
For more information on Qrill Pet visit their website, HERE.
