dogs make us more social

It’s no wonder then that so many people love visiting with and petting dogs when dogs make us more social they see them out and about in the world. If you have a dog that you like to take on regular walks, chances are one or two people will always try to stop you, ask if they can pet your furry companion, and greet your dog with a big smile.

Dogs work as excellent icebreakers, and for good reason! Even the   that pets help alleviate stress, decrease feelings of loneliness, lower blood pressure, and increase opportunities for socializing. Humans are social creatures, and our dogs help us become even more social just by having them around.

 Dogs are perfect icebreakers

People are social creatures, but sometimes we deliberately avoid social interactions. This is especially true when you’re out in public — you may make eye contact with someone, but you’re not about to strike up a conversation with a stranger on the spot. If anything, you might give a polite nod and move on with your day. For some of us, the idea of talking to strangers is enough to give us a small anxiety attack: Hold a conversation with someone you barely know?! What a nightmare!

However, the moment you see someone with a dog, chances are you’re going to go up and strike up a conversation with them. But why is that?

In one , she explains the social theories behind this phenomenon. She writes: “People typically treat strangers in public places with what the sociologist Erving Goffman termed ‘civil inattention.’ They may acknowledge each other with glances but quickly look away. The glanced is recognizing that the other person is there, but signaling that he doesn’t want to interact, and also being respectful of the fact that the other person probably doesn’t want to interact, either.”

Adding a dog to the picture, however, changes this interaction, which is why  more social. Dogs don’t have any awareness of our social concepts, and chances are they wouldn’t care even if they did know about them. They sometimes want to say hi to anyone and everyone they can, and humans who like dogs are equally eager to meet, pet, and chat with dogs and their owners. That willingness helps break that “civil inattention” barrier that humans have, which opens up the opportunity for humans to interact with each other through the dog.

Plus, humans that have dogs are just more open to being social when out in public, and others often see them as being more friendly. Dog owners expect that and are usually more than willing to talk about their dogs. After some time, you may even learn more about the owner by merely asking them questions about their dog dogs make us more social.

Read More: Dogs are about as intelligent as a two-year-old

Dogs foster social connections

Many people with mental health issues have difficulty . Studies have found that pet ownership changes that because it’s a great way to meet and interact with others—especially those who are like minded. Dogs are the perfect ice-breaker to start a conversation, especially since you are starting off with something in common. It’s like the weather, people usually love talking about their dog.

Feeling lonely?

There are many places you can go that you might otherwise not feel comfortable. For example, you can take your four-legged friend to the local pet store and browse around—likely you’ll have at least one person striking up a conversation with you. Or head to the dog park where dog owners usually start chatting when it turns out their dog and yours befriend each other. You can take a stroll around any public place that allows dogs and you’re bound to have a approach wanting to talk about your breed.

 

They Create an Instant Connection

Let’s say you have neighbors you rarely speak to beyond a perfunctory hello when you see them on the street — a frequent occurrence, as people become more . A dog, whether it’s yours or theirs, gives you a reason to stop and talk and something to bond over, says  a professor of human-animal interaction at Colorado State University. “A pet is a safe zone,” she says. Even in these divisive times, there’s nothing controversial about a friendly, well-behaved pooch.

 

The benefits of pets

Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals dogs make us feel less alone. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Pets have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. Dogs, for example, are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures. And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course).

Any pet can improve your health

While it’s true that people with pets often experience greater health benefits than those without, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or a cat. A rabbit could be ideal if you’re allergic to other animals or have limited space but still want a furry friend to snuggle with.

Birds can encourage social interaction and help keep your mind sharp if you’re an older adult. Snakes, lizards, and other reptiles can make for exotic companions. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower your pulse rate.

Read More: Dogs help you stop stressing out

What does it all mean?

There are lots of possible reasons dogs can help to lessen feelings of loneliness. We know having a quick cuddle with a dog . Maybe daily dog cuddles can also boost owners’ mood in the long-term which could help to lower feelings of loneliness.

Dog owners may also meet new people through their dog as . In our study, dog owners also said they had met new people in their neighborhood because of their dog.

he participants and the data
One hundred and thirty-two Canadian pet (dog and cat owners) and non-pet owners (defined as individuals who did not own a dog or cat) who were at least 18 years of age and living alone completed a 15 minute on-line survey of “factors affecting the well-being of individuals living alone.” The sample consisted of 66 pet owners (40 dog owners and 26 cat owners) and 66 people who did not own a dog or a cat.

The participants completed measures of perceived social support (“I can talk about my problems with my friends”), emotional attachment to pets (“Quite often, my feelings toward people are affected by the way they react to my pet”), depression and loneliness.

While there is no question that these are incredibly difficult times to maintain personal relationships, there has never been a better time to bring a new pet into your household. Not only are there more pets than ever needing good homes, experts say that being around pets has many health benefits. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has reported that pets and therapy animals can assist in alleviating anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as feelings of social isolation and loneliness dogs make us feel less alone.

Barking Mad is a dog sitting service that understands how dogs reduce loneliness. Many of their hosts sign up to provide the service as a way of having some companionship and meeting people, as Sheila explains in this . As part of ‘October’, Barking Mad get involved with coffee mornings, afternoon teas and dog walks in local communities to combat loneliness. Around the festive season, lonely people can feel even lonelier. This is a good time to get out into the community to visit neighbors who live alone. One of Barking Med’s schemes sees dog owners encouraged to ‘share’ their dogs at Christmas time by taking them along to visit lonely neighbors.

 

Dogs help us cope with crisis

• possible Health Effects Dogs help us cope with crisis
• Research on human-animal interactions is still relatively new. Some studies have shown positive health effects, but the results have been mixed.
• Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.
• The NIH/Mars Partnership is funding a range of studies focused on the relationships we have with animals. For example, researchers are looking into how animals might influence child development. They’re studying animal interactions with kids who have and other conditions.
• “There’s not one answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific condition,” explains Dr. Layla Esposito, who oversees NIH’s Human-Animal Interaction Research Program. “Is your goal to increase physical activity? Then you might benefit from owning a dog.

 

Dogs are a source of companionship and comfort for their owners, but the degree to which this might translate into real emotional and social support has not been quantified. Emotional and social support are essential to help people to get through personal crises such as bereavement. In this study we characterize the social support owners obtain from their dogs, provide evidence of how widespread this social support is amongst dog-owners, and show how social support from dogs can increase during a crisis (using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example).

We collected data from a representative population-based sample of Spanish dog-owners and found that most respondents said that their dogs helped them to get through tough times. They got comfort from physical contact with their dogs, shared activities with them and treated them as confidants in a similar way to friends and family. These are all key aspects of social support, and dogs offer the advantage of being more available than human sources of support.

or the slightly privileged, the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown has meant embellishing your life with new routines. Rosita Thomas, a 26-year-old Mumbai-based graphic designer, has been arranging regular virtual dates between her dog, Amigo, and her friend who is currently living away from his family.

Reduce stress.

Research has shown that simply petting a dog lowers the stress hormone cortisol , while the social interaction between people and their dogs actually increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies).

In fact, an astonishing 84 percent of post-traumatic stress disorder patients paired with a service dog reported a significant reduction in symptoms, and 40 percent were able to decrease their medications, reported a recent survey.

Lower blood pressure.

The cortisol-lowering and oxytocin-boosting benefits of petting also help keep your blood pressure at bay. “Petting and holding an animal allows you to appreciate the beauty of nature,” explains Barron. “It’s relaxing and transcendental.”

Read More: Dogs help seniors with cognitive function and social interaction

What if I can’t have a pet?

If you can’t afford a pet, live somewhere you’re not allowed one, or you’re worried about having times where you’re too unwell to care for a pet, there are other options.

The simplest option may be spending time with friends’ pets, whether that’s walking their dogs, stroking their cats or cuddling their guinea pigs. They might be glad to have someone to pet sit for them while they’re on holiday. You can also consider signing up as a house sitter: you look after someone’s home, garden and pets in return for free accommodation.

If you’re missing having a dog in your life, you could sign up with . They connect dog owners to local people who would love to walk or play with a do  also needs volunteer dog walkers to help out older people or those with a health condition or disability that means they can’t walk their dog as easily anymore. They also need people to foster pets while their owners are in hospitas. Dogs help us cope with crisis

Contact a rescue center near you to see what volunteering opportunities they may have. They may need volunteers to exercise, care for and socialize their pets. You could consider fostering an animal if you’re able to have a pet on a short-term basis but can’t commit to one long-term. Some shy or scared animals need the peace and quiet of a home while waiting to be adopted.

 

Fun Facts About Dog Ears!!

Your furry friend’s ears are not only adorable they are super interesting Dogs have 18 muscles controlling their ears  Here are some fun facts about your dog’s ears!

 

1. Some dog breeds are bred for specific jobs , for example herding dogs like Sheepdogs.  The sooner they can hear a predator or other danger approaching the more quickly they can herd the sheep to safety.
2. Dogs have the ability to move their ears independently  , they can tilt, turn and raise them all which changes their facial expressions and can communicate what they are feeling.  There is around 18 muscles in a dogs ears!
3. They show there emotions through their ear movements as well as move their ears to a position to better hear certain noises.
4. If your dog’s ears are upright and facing forward, he/she is engaged.  If they are pulled back a bit he/she is feeling friendly.  if the ears are tightly laid back against the dog’s head , they are feeling fearful or shy.
5. Another function of a dog’s ear is of course, balance!  That is why when a dog has an ear infection you can usually tell as they lose their balance easily.
6. A Dog’s ear canal is shaped like an L.
7. Dogs can hear higher frequency than humans but not as high as cats.
8. Cocking his head may help your dog tune in sounds far off in the distance.
9. Did you know puppies are born deaf?  When they are born their ear canals are still closed, they begin to hear at a few weeks old.
10. Dogs have the unique ability to filter out certain sounds while remaining alert to others.  That is why they can hear a car pull up to your house over a loud TV.
11. A Bloodhound from St. Joseph Illinois, holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest ears!  His name is Tigger and his right ear measures 12.75 inches and his left measures 13.5 inches!  The reason Bloodhounds have very long ears to help direct scents to their sensitive noses.
12. Dogs ears never stop working because they can hear so many things we can’t!  Even while we are asleep and all seems quiet, they are able to hear high- frequency noises such as the pulse from your alarm clock, electrical buzzing , even the vibrations of termites in the walls
13. Read More: Dogs encourage you to move

There are about a dozen different dog ear shapes

You knew that different dogs have different shaped ears, but did you know there were so many?  has a great illustrated chart. Some shapes include:

• Pricked ears, like on Malamutes or German Shepherds
• Blunt or round ears, like on French Bulldogs
• Bat ears, like on Corgis
• Drop or pendant ears, like on Basset Hounds
• Cocked or semi-pricked ears like on Collies or Shetland Sheepdogs
• Rose ears, like on Greyhounds

1. They have more than a dozen muscles.

Dogs have at least 18 muscles that work to tilt, raise, and rotate their ears, which helps them identify and capture sounds from different directions.

2. They have a long, narrow ear canal.

Unlike humans who have a very short ear canal, dogs have a long, narrow ear canal that makes almost a 90° bend as it travels to the deeper parts of the ear.

3. Dogs with floppy ears may have more ear problems.

Compared to cats, dogs tend to have many more ear problems and — especially breeds with floppy ears, such as Basset Hounds, and dogs with cropped ears.

4. Dogs can hear nearly four times better than humans.

Your dog’s hearing ability is dependent on their breed and age, but the average hearing range is usually around Human hearing stretches from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (or 20 kHz), but most adults actually top out at 16k Hz.

5. They have a higher hearing frequency than humans.

Domestic dogs can hear significantly higher frequency sounds than humans, although not as high as cats. They also have a different acoustic perception of the world. Sounds that seem loud to people often have high-frequency tones that can scare dogs. Ultrasonic dog whistles have been used in dog training because they produce sounds at frequencies higher than those audible to humans but well within the range of a dog’s hearing. Even during the quiet hours of the night, the world is a noisy place for dogs, who can hear the high-frequency pulse of the crystal resonator used in digital alarm clocks and bodily vibrations of termites in nogs

 

 

Dogs love to sniff. Sometimes they sniff so much, you might wonder if they’ll ever come up for air. Truth is, they don’t have to. Their noses are structured so that they can ponder a scent and work out what it is while air continues to move freely in and out of their lungs. That’s a pretty handy trick especially when you have a 300 million olfactory receptors and a whole world to smell.

Why are noses important to dogs?

The canine nose does more than smell the roses. While humans primarily depend on their vision, dogs use both sight and smell to assess their surroundings and communicate. People spend more time interpreting visual data than olfactory information. Dogs are just the opposite.

Dogs devote lots of brain power to interpreting smells. They have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in the nasal cavity compared to 6 million in people, and the area of the canine brain devoted to analyzing odors is about 40 times larger than the comparable part of the human brain. In fact, it has been estimated that dogs can smell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than people.

Do noses “talk”?

While noses do not actually speak, they do communicate. With a single sniff, noses interpret an entire story without words by using amines and acids emitted by dogs as the basis for chemical communication. The chemical aromas communicate what a dog likes to eat, and identify gender and mood. By simply smelling, a dog can determine if a new friend is male or female, happy or aggressive, healthy or ill. Dogs get a general idea about each other with a quick sniff, but get more detailed information by getting up close and personal. That is why some dogs sniff private parts of the anatomy!

Dogs also have a good scent memory that can identify other dogs they have not seen for years, and even remember which of them was the dominant member of the pair. When dogs belonging to the same family are separated for a while, they use sense of smell to catch up on things. Changes in odors may convey where the dog went, what he ate, and what he did.

When in a new territory, a dog can sniff a tree and determine what other dogs live in the neighborhood. They can smell a visitor’s pant-leg and get a good impression of where the person lives and whether he has pets at home.

Dogs also have a great homing instinct that depends on their ability to smell. Since dogs move their nostrils independently, they can determine the direction of an odor and use their sense of smell like a compass.

Smell

Here are eight more interesting facts about your dog’s sense of smell that prove that canines have superior noses.

1. A dog’s nose has two functions—smelling and breathing.

According to Dr. Nappier, a canine’s nose has the ability to separate air. A portion goes directly to the olfactory sensing area (which distinguishes scents), while the other portion is dedicated to breathing.

Read More: Dogs are so adorable they make us love them

2. Dogs have the ability to breathe in and out at the same time.

“When sniffing, dogs’ noses are designed so that air can move in and out at the same time, creating a continuous circulation of air, unlike humans who have to either breathe in or out only,” says Dr. Nappier.

3. Dogs have a special organ that gives them a “second” sense of smell.

According to Dr. Nappier, a dog’s vomeronasal organ helps them detect pheromones, which are chemicals that animals release that affect other members of the same species. This organ plays an important role in reproduction and other aspects of canine physiology and behavior.

4. Dogs smell in 3-D.

Dogs can smell separately with each nostril. Just as our eyes compile two slightly different views of the world, and our brain combines them to form a 3-D picture, a dog’s brain uses the different odor profiles from each nostril to determine exactly where smelly objects are located.

5. Dogs can smell the passage of time.

Dogs can detect the tiny reductions in the concentrations of odor molecules that occur over short periods of time. This allows tracking dogs to quickly determine which direction a person or animal has gone in by sniffing the ground.

6. Dogs’ noses have evolved to help them survive.

According to Dr. David C. Dorman, DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT, professor of toxicology at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, dogs have used their noses to assist with major life events since the beginning of time.

“Evolutionarily, a dog’s sense of smell helps them find a mate, offspring, and food, and avoid predators,” he says.

7. Dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans.

Dr. Nappier puts this tidbit into perspective with an awe-inspiring analogy. “A dog’s sense of smell is its most powerful sense,” he says. “It is so sensitive that [dogs can] detect the equivalent of a 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.”