Five simple ways for pets and owners to be healthier and happier together

My pets helped me write this article. Whenever my concentration slipped or I began to feel tired, I picked up my dogs’ leads, and they gladly came along for some fresh air and a small outdoor adventure. I readily acknowledge that my pets support my health, productivity and happiness – and I hope I contribute to their happiness and health in return.

It is widely recognised that pets can benefit human health and wellbeing, but those benefits ought to go both ways. Pets are sentient beings who deserve care and respect; they should not be treated as tools for improving human wellbeing at the expense of their own.

Many countries, including the UK and the US, are facing an obesity crisis affecting people and pets alike. So how can owners who depend on their animals for comfort and companionship avoid unintentionally harming their pets’ health?

Here are five ways you and your pet can become healthier and happier together.

1. Rest and relaxation with pets

Companion animals can ease stress and distress. Research has found that having a dog physically present during a demanding task can lower a person’s blood pressure and heart rate, even more than having a friend or family member there. Yet people carrying out stressful tasks with a friendly animal they did not know showed no benefits.

Pets can therefore provide their owners with comfort, security and support – a safe haven. Animals also find reassurance in their humans: their presence can calm pets, and pets can enjoy affection. However, intense interaction between humans and animals can create attachment problems, leaving pets vulnerable to aggression, fear and separation anxiety.

For certain pets, excessive handling or inappropriate stroking can be frightening and stressful, potentially causing anxiety or aggression.

Some owners choose to share their bed with their pets. Sleeping beside an animal can have health implications, including disrupted sleep and the risk of injury, disease transmission or allergies.

On the other hand, sharing a bed with a pet may support good-quality sleep and provide warmth, security and companionship. Many pets appear to favour sleeping close to others, so the benefits may be mutual.

2. Building relationships

A strong relationship is important to the health of both pet and owner. A positive human–pet relationship recognises the owner’s responsibility for the animal’s welfare and wellbeing. Dysfunctional relationships, by contrast, can result in trauma and aggression. Caregivers whose dogs are less friendly or poorly behaved may experience anxiety and depression.

Pets should be trained using approaches that nurture a positive partnership between animal and human. This may also help both parties develop a more optimistic outlook on life. Research indicates that positive reinforcement, rather than punishment-based training, is the best method for animal welfare and learning skills.

Assistance and therapy animals often demonstrate strong human–pet relationships. Therapy pets are associated with greater independence and improved reported wellbeing among their owners. In healthcare facilities, stroking and interacting with therapy pets benefits patients: animals can provide a sense of normality, lessen boredom and help relieve depression.

3. Making two- and four-legged friends

Walking your pet may offer health benefits beyond exercise alone.

Pets can help people form friendships and relationships and develop a sense of community. For example, pet owners are more likely to get to know others in their local area.

Why might that be? Research suggests that pets have a significant effect on “social lubrication”, helping people establish relationships with other pet owners and animal lovers.

As a result, pet owners are less likely to experience loneliness and social isolation than people without pets.

4. Dietary decisions

Vets agree that pets’ average waistlines are expanding. This reflects a similar trend among humans, with diet and exercise both major contributing factors.

Obesity in pet dogs – though not in cats – is linked to the size of their owners’ waistlines, suggesting a causal relationship involving lifestyle. Owners therefore tend to harm their pets’ health unintentionally through the same poor diet and exercise habits that contribute to their own health problems.

Helping people make better food choices for their pets might also encourage healthier eating by the owners themselves.

A better diet combined with regular exercise could help both pets and people achieve a healthy waistline.

5. Walking for wellbeing

Regular physical activity is linked to numerous health benefits for pets and people. For most dog owners, walking is a relatively accessible and cost-effective way to improve both their own and their pets’ physical health and general wellbeing.

For instance, people who regularly walk dogs have lower body masses and are more physically active than people without dogs or those who do not walk the dogs they live with. Walking at least three times a week can also ease back pain and halve the risk of it returning.

Not everyone walks their dog regularly, however. Reasons can include a shortage of suitable places, concerns about safety, or worries about the behaviour of their own or other dogs. Accessible, safe and user-friendly facilities can encourage everyone to be active. These include “poo bins” to reduce dog fouling, neighbourhood design that provides safe walking opportunities, and restricted access to potentially sensitive places such as children’s playgrounds.

Ultimately, life with a companion animal should involve a happy, healthy relationship that benefits both parties. These five guidelines should help owners and their pets find comfort and calm in one another while maintaining a healthy weight and outlook.

Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.