What did you always want as a kid? Have you ever wanted a pet?! I know I did. Maybe you did too! Turns out there might be some psychological and emotional benefits when having a pet. 

In my household I had 3 dogs and a cat. My cat’s name is Bud Nuggets. I named him when I was 4.  Sadly, one of my dogs, who was named Weezey, passed away. He was a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd mix. So now I have 2 golden doodles. Their names are Rufus and Avery, they’re brother and sister, they’re also both black! Even though they have the name golden retriever. Ironic, right? 

Despite the losses of my pets, it was all worth it in the end. All of my pets have brought me so much joy and happiness. More than I could ask for in a lifetime. Dogs are more like us than we think they are. They have social awareness. When you’re sad or you’re not your usual self, they know. And they will be to your rescue.

 In an article, “The Health and Mood Boosting Benefits of Having Pets” written by Kai Lundgren, Lawrence Robinson, and Robert Segal, they write, “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.” So really our companions do notice our emotional state, and they might feel it too. This goes for any kind of pet, hey maybe even a fish! When you think of a pet, try to have a more open perspective. Having a pet doesn’t mean just buying a dog, you can buy a rat, snake, a bird, a hamster, a turtle, or even a rabbit. 

In another article called “How Dogs Affect your Body and Brain”, Meg Olmert is interviewed by Emma Fierburg, she explains that, “There is a feedback system that is both neurochemically and psychologically and behaviorally that sets up between you and your pet.” She continues,” So, that is why, you know, they’ll be wagging their tail, you know, thrilled to see you when you come home or if it’s a cat it’s purring. And you may be very distracted but they aren’t. You are the greatest thing they ever saw if you’ve developed this relationship.” Based on the information from this article, we can conclude that dogs and humans may have a special relationship and bond. 

In my opinion I think dogs are a lot of fun. I’ve had 5 throughout my life and yes animals do come with a great amount of responsibility. You have to train a puppy, you would have to clean out a tank or a cage, you would need to pay for food, and your pet would need multiple hours of attention. So yes and sometimes, your puppy may have an accident, or your bunny might get sick, but I think that the good outweighs the bad. Think of it this way; a relationship human to human has ups and downs. Without mistakes you can’t learn and grow. And a relationship involves two being there for one another. So the same thing applies in  human-animal relationships.  And if you’re a child, convincing your parents may be hard. But also they may be open to the benefits the pet gives to you as well as the benefits you give to your pet. 

Now how could this benefit students at iUniversity Prep? First, because of the relaxed flexible time we have, we can give more attention to our pets. Instead of being away from your little friend for 7 hours you can be with them all the time. You might even let them sit with you while you work. Also times can be stressful especially in a pandemic, so sometimes when you have the responsibility to maintain good grades, chores, and other responsibilities, you can always come to your pet for a little break and they will be happy you did!

Having a pet isn’t for everybody and that’s okay! But I hope this interests you. I hope you’ve considered the benefits to owning and taking care of a pet! From my personal experience I would definitely without a doubt recommend getting a companion. 

Sources: 

How Dogs Affect Your Body and Brain (businessinsider.com)

The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets – HelpGuide.org