The adage of a dog being man's (or woman's) best friend is correct. If you've ever spent any time with a puppy, or even a grown dog, you know the kind of joy being in their presence brings. You feel relaxed, and their unconditional love makes it easier to enjoy life. Many people think that this is a subjective feeling. Of course, they love their dogs and feel life's better with them. However, objectively speaking, dogs can bring a whole plethora of benefits to owners. The CDC mentions a handful of advantages having a dog can bring to a pet owner. Here, we'll explore the benefits that a dog can offer you to show why they're still man's (and woman's) best friend.

Companionship

Dogs are selfless animals, and their companionship is something that every dog owner is grateful for. The Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found in a study that 85% of respondents believed that dogs made them feel less alone. Spending time with a dog makes you feel accepted and loved. This companionship isn't something that any other bond can imitate. It's no wonder that so many fur baby parents show for accessories at Best Friends by Shari.

Destressing

These are some pretty harrowing months to go through, and many people's stress levels are through the roof. However, it's notable that having a dog can reduce your stress significantly. The American Educational Research Association (AEAR) noted in a study published by Washington State University that ten minutes spent petting a dog could dramatically reduce your stress levels. For dogs, too, having a human around can help them to relax. The presence of a human together with a calming dog bed can help a pup feel more relaxed, helping their human to unwind as well.

Dogs Make You More Attractive

If you're a regular in the dating scene, you must realize how much of a draw carrying a baby is when looking to meet women. Did you know that your dog could have a similar impact on your attractiveness rating? Several studies have found that men were more likely to obtain a woman's number if they engaged in conversation while having a dog with them. Similarly, in a study that checked compatibility online, eligible men chose more women with dogs in their profile pictures than those without. Even in a relationship, dogs are usually more attractive than your significant other. Another study found that more than half of dog owners took more photos of their pet than their significant other.

Social Drivers

Most dog owners would realize by now that dogs help to make us more social. When walking in a dog park, it's not uncommon to run into someone you've never met before because your dogs are drawn to one another. Research backs this up, showing that two in five dog owners had a much easier time making social connections with their dogs than without them. Additionally, they strengthen out interpersonal bonds as well. Most people who own a dog feel inherently closer to other humans and their communities. As far as a social lubricant goes, we at Best Friends by Shari prefer dogs to alcohol any day.

They Help Us Remain Fit

Have you ever had to chase a dog through the mud or walk with them down a street? You'd probably realize immediately that no dog owner could become unfit while taking care of their fur baby. Dogs require us to take care of them by walking and playing. Even smaller dogs can sometimes seem to have unending reservoirs of energy, leaving us pet owners who are a bit on the unhealthy side struggling to keep up. Luckily, thanks to our interaction with those pets, they increase our fitness through walks and playing with them. Before long, our circulation improves, and we get that cardio workout we so desperately need with unique companionship to go with it.

Better Mood

Spending time with a dog immediately improves your mood. It's not an incremental change either. Just staying with a pup for a short amount of time will boost your mood massively. A study done in Japan in 2009 notes that there's a spike of oxytocin in your brain when you stare into your dog's eyes. This chemical is known as the "love chemical" since it's responsible for those feelings of care and affection you get. A dog's face can trigger those feelings and immediately lift your mood into the stratosphere. Dogs are some of nature's best mood boosters, and dog owners benefit from their presence more than they realize.

Coping with Crisis

Many of us have had deep misgivings about society's ability to withstand the current global crisis. Worrying about these things are unhelpful and send up your stress levels. Luckily, dog owners have a perfect way to cope with this or any other crisis. Dogs are scientifically proven to help human beings manage their stress levels effectively. Studies conducted on military vets with PTSD noted that the patients' conditions improved significantly once they interacted with dogs. They also had better coping skills for dealing with society. If there's one thing we can be glad for, it's that dogs have our back in this time of uncertainty.

Dogs Make Us Think Clearly

When you start getting older, you might realize that your brain isn't as sharp as it once was. Owning a dog might help improve your cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that owning a dog improved the cognitive skills of seniors over the long term. In seniors with dementia, having a furry companion decreased agitated behavior and increased their social interaction levels. Having to deal with a dog helps us to develop and keep a schedule. By their presence in our lives, they help us find order in the chaos to have a clear path forward.

The Truest Friend You'll Have

Dogs are as close as we can get to physical angels. They love us unconditionally, and they help us deal with the problems that society keeps throwing at us. Scientifically, it's been proven that they can improve our mood and keep us fit and healthy. They even make us more attractive and give us an edge when searching for the perfect partner. With such a massive repertoire of support skills, it's no wonder why dogs remain a human's best friend.

There has been a lot of discussion about obedience training for dogs. Dog owners prefer having well-trained dogs, and some have even looked into doing the training themselves. Over the years, several myths and misconceptions have popped up about obedience training. Many dog owners believe leaving well enough alone is the best approach and don't train their dogs if they don't see a need for it. While you may not actually see a need for training your dog, your pet may still need the training. Obedience training is more than just a tool for controlling your pet. It's to help them have self-control as well. It teaches discipline in a unique way that appeals to a dog's inner nature. Here, we look at why obedience training is necessary for dogs.

Why Train Your Dog?

Training for your dog shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be part of how you raise your pet. With proper obedience training, a pet owner could control their dog even when unrestrained. There's less likely that your pet will run off and get hit by a car if you can bring them to heel on command. Training also teaches your pet to respect the boundaries of other pets and their owners. This understanding improves their social interactions and helps them make friends easier. If you have to leave your dog with a friend or relative, training helps with this. It does help to have a nice calming pet bed to help with anxiety, but they're less likely to feel abandoned in those situations. But do you need someone to train your dog for you, or can you do it yourself?

Professional or DIY Training?

As a pet owner, you may feel a bit strange looking for someone to train your pup. In some cases, hiring a professional trainer can benefit you. They will socialize your pet and ensure that they have the best treatment. On the other side of the equation, you have to consider how those trainers are getting the job done. There are no guarantees that you'll have a trainer who'll understand the best way to get your dog to obey you. The alternative is teaching your pet on your own.

DIY training also has its own challenges to overcome. Several training techniques have become fashionable and changed over time. Many pet owners think that the same principles that were accepted in the past would work today. However, animal behavioral psychologists have figured out that dogs respond differently to stimuli, and how they learn is more complicated than we had believed in the past. Before you can successfully train your dog, you have to figure out he or she best grasps concepts.

Understanding How Dogs Learn

You've no doubt heard of Pavlov by now, but if you haven't, he's a famous researcher from the past that figured out how to train dogs to do certain things on command. Pavlov would feed a dog and ring a bell. Later on, whenever he rang the bell, the dog would start salivating because the pup expected food would be coming soon. Today's training methods are much more sophisticated than that, but they rely on a similar response from pets. Reward-based training is how most professionals describe these types of lessons. Obedience training depends on using rewards to reinforce good behavior in your pets. If the pup performs something that the trainer asks of them, then they get a treat. This practice shows the dog that this behavior is acceptable and encouraged.

Unfortunately, dogs can't understand human speech, especially the tones involved. Some of them may be sensitive enough to pick up on verbal stress cues, but most can't tell the difference between when you're celebrating them or when you're mad at them. Praise or condemnation, therefore, may seem like the same thing to a dog. If a dog does something wrong, then yelling at the pup won't help them behave any better. If anything, it'd make the dog feel as though they performed a good act and may help to reinforce their bad behavior. This result is usually the complete opposite of what you're going for.

Another outdated training technique is establishing dominance. The false narrative of "the alpha dog" came about because behavioral psychologists saw dogs as pack animals. The idea followed that, for a dog to obey you, you'd have to show them who was more dominant. Today, we understand that this approach can cause your dog significant stress and even lead to them lashing out because of your control. Problem behaviors such as fear aggression have a higher chance of occurring when you use this technique.

Focus On The Attitude

The crucial part of training a dog is to ensure that you keep it fun. Keep your training sessions for short periods. Dogs respond better in the moment, and the longer you train your pup, the more exhausted he or she will get. They will start to react much slower when they start getting mentally tired. You should also keep training to times when both you and your pet are in a good mental state. Don't train while you're angry or anxious since you might pass these feelings onto your dog.

If you live in a household with more people who interact with the dog, it's essential to set standards of how you'd like the pup to behave. Everyone must be on the same page regarding behavior. If you aren't, your puppy will become confused, and the training will stop working. Your dog won't understand the differences between what one person thinks is right and what the other person does. They don't see differing opinions in humans and can't detect these subtle nuances of behavior. To your pet, all humans are masters, and everything should remain the same when dealing with all of us.

Training Helps Both You And Your Pet

When you train your pet, you develop a bond with the pup. This bond becomes stronger through your shared perspectives of a pet and master. Don't think about training as a way to control your pet. Instead, see it as a way so that you and your pup can grow and develop together. Training changes you as much as it changes them because it helps you appreciate the world from your pet's perspective.