Dogs reduce stress levels
A 2012 meta-analysis looked at 69 studies on how pets affect their owners, and most of them had one thing in common: stress reduction.
In addition to having lower rates of high blood pressure, pet owners showed a reduction of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone. In one experiment, children were put in a socially stressful environment – one group had a friendly adult with them, and another had a friendly dog. The children with a friendly dog had lower cortisol levels. The more they played with the dog, the less stressed they were.
