Dogs and Seniors See Eye to Eye: The Top Benefits of Dog Ownership for Seniors

A new study was released on the 95 benefits of having a dog + dog and human relationship facts.

One of the dog-human relationships examined was that of dogs and seniors. Dogs make seniors more active, physically and socially. Plus, pups can double as companions and caretakers because they offer a range of incredible benefits, such as:

• Dog owners have a 24% lower risk of death from any cause than non-dog owners.
• Dogs decrease agitation in seniors with dementia.
• Older adults who walk dogs experience lower body mass index, fewer daily living limitations, and even fewer doctor visits than those who don't own dogs.
• Dogs can watch out for seniors' health - they can be trained to sniff out cancers, including cancers of the skin, bladder, breast, and prostate. 
• Dog ownership is associated with a 27% reduced risk of early death for stroke survivors living alone. 
• Dogs reduce divorce among empty nesters. 

Those are just a few of the many benefits seniors get from having a dog. Want to find out more? Click here to read the whole study.