Everyday hero on four paws: How dogs keep us healthy
Dogs can have a positive impact on our health, for example as normal pets or as school dogs, therapy dogs or guide dogs. This is how a dog enriches our lives.
Fit in everyday life through regular walks
Dogs provide routines in our everyday life that can have a positive effect on our health. Regular walks with our four-legged friend in particular strengthen our cardiovascular system. Risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks  or strokes can thus be reduced. Exercising in nature and in the fresh air also supports the body in chronic diseases such as asthma , bronchitis  and diabetes . Daily walks outdoors also strengthen our immune system .
Dogs promote mental and physical well-being
In addition to physical health, dogs also promote mental well-being. Contact with dogs reduces stress , calms and can contribute to regeneration. When petting and cuddling with the animal, humans release the so-called feel-good hormone oxytocin  . This is another reason why dogs are often used in various forms of therapy or as companions for people with disabilities.
In an educational context, dogs support:
- physiological and psychological stress reduction.
- promoting positive social interaction and relationships.
- a pleasant learning atmosphere.
Visiting dogs and therapy dogs: What do they do?
A basic distinction must be made between a visiting dog and a therapy dog. Visiting dogs accompany the master or mistress to retirement homes and kindergartens, for example. You do not need any special training for this, but should be very well trained, patient and open-minded in dealing with people and conspecifics.
A therapy dog, on the other hand, has to undergo various tests and enjoys special training in this context. The owner often has pedagogical and therapeutic training and knows in which areas of application the dog needs to be ideally trained. Therapy dog ​​traits include motivation , empathy, and being very social with people and other four-legged friends.
Dogs as helpers and early warning systems
Dogs not only improve the fitness  and mental well-being of the owner. In the case of diabetes  and epilepsy  , they sometimes even serve as an early warning system and notice a glycemic shock or an epileptic seizure even before a person does, based on the smell of the affected person. For people with a (visual) impairment, the dogs often help in the household and thus facilitate an independent life.
Dogs mean responsibility
Despite all the health benefits, having a dog as a pet or therapy dog ​​means a lot of responsibility. Therefore, before getting a dog, it should be clear that a dog means a lot of work and that the animal always needs love and affection.
If you don’t have the time, but are still interested in longer walks with a dog, you can ask the local animal shelter: After a short introduction, there is often the opportunity to walk the animals and thus make each other happy .