8/15/2020 How Much Dog Do You Need For Optimum Health?

51,141 views | Oct 28, 2019, 07:30am EDT

How Much Dog Do You Need For

Optimum Health?
Steven Salzberg Contributor
Healthcare

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Humans have had dogs as companions for thousands of years. Over that
time, dogs have evolved to become ever-better companions, as we humans
selectively bred them for traits that we like, such as friendliness and loyalty.

Dog owners already know that owning a dog reduces stress. But it turns out
that the health benefits of owning a dog go quite a bit further: two new

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8/15/2020 How Much Dog Do You Need For Optimum Health?

studies published this month in the journal Circulation both found that
owning a dog reduces your risk of dying.

The first study, by Carolyn Kramer and colleagues at the University of

Toronto, reviewed ten other studies dating back more than 50 years,
covering 3.8 million people. They compared dog owners to non-owners and
found that dog owners had a 24% lower risk of dying, from any cause, over a
10-year period. The benefit was even greater for people who'd suffered a
heart attack: those who had a dog at home after their heart attack had a 65%
lower risk of dying.

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The second study, by Tove Fall and colleagues at Uppsala University,

focused on the benefits of owning a dog for people who have had a heart
attack or a stroke. They used the Swedish National Patient Register to
identify 335,000 patients who'd suffered one of these events between 2000
and 2012, about 5% of whom were dog owners. They found even greater
benefits than the first study: among people who'd had a heart attack, their
risk of dying was 33% lower if they owned a dog as compared to people who
lived alone. The benefits were smaller but still significant for people who
lived with a companion (a spouse or a child): they still had a 15% lower risk
of dying if they also owned a dog. For those who'd had a stroke, the risk of
dying for dog owners was 27% lower than for people who lived along, and
12% lower than for people who lived with a companion but didn't have a
dog. This study measured the risk over a 4-5 year followup period.

These studies are consistent with many other scientific reports, stretching
back decades. They're all consistent, and they all point in the same direction:

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8/15/2020 How Much Dog Do You Need For Optimum Health?

dog ownership is good for your health. In fact, back in 2013 the American
Heart Association issued an official statement on "Pet Ownership and
Cardiovascular Risk" with this recommendation:

"Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership,

may be reasonable for reduction in
cardiovascular disease risk."

However, because the evidence was not very strong, the AHA also advised
that people shouldn't get a pet "for the primary purpose of reducing CVD
risk." In other words, don't get a dog if you don't want one. As every dog
owner knows, owning a dog is much more trouble than simply taking a daily
pill.

The new studies strengthen the previous evidence for the health benefits of
dogs. In an accompanying editorial in Circulation, Dhruv Kazi from
Harvard Medical School asks a critical question: is the association between
dog ownership and reduced mortality just a correlation, or is it causal? He
points out that studies have shown that dog ownership reduces blood
pressure and other signs of stress, and that dog owners tend to get outside
and walk more (with their dogs). Thus it's very plausible, medically
speaking, that dog ownership is good for you. For these and other reasons,
Kazi concludes that

"the association between dog ownership and

improved survival is real, and is likely at least
partially causal."

One final question is still nagging at me, though. Now that we know that dog
ownership is good for your health, what's the optimal dose? Would it be

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8/15/2020 How Much Dog Do You Need For Optimum Health?

even healthier to own two dogs rather than one? And what if we throw in a
cat, does that strengthen or reduce the effect? Finally, is it healthier to own a
larger dog, or is a small one just as good?

Clearly, more research is needed.

[Note: the author discloses that he owns a rescue dog, a rather small
terrier.]

Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.

Steven Salzberg

I'm the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer

Science, and Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. From 2005-2011 I was the
Horvitz… Read More

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