People who own dogs live longer! They’re healthier. They’re calmer. Their children are less prone to allergies.

Dogs aren’t big on social distancing. They lick and sniff everything and one another. Conversation, friendships and even romance between owners can often be the result.

A dog’s love is unconditional. Once you have a dog, you can’t live without one!

Living in a home with a dog may be linked to healthier psychological development in young children, researchers report.

A study in Pediatric Research made by Australian scientists, found that after adjusting for other factors, compared with children without dogs, those who had them were about 30 percent less likely to have behavior problems, 40 percent less likely to have difficulty relating to their peers and 34 percent more likely to show pro-social behavior. There was no association of dog ownership with emotional difficulties or hyperactivity.

The study suggested that the benefits of dog ownership started very early in life. “We are not saying, ‘Go out and get a dog’…That’s a really important decision. Owning a dog comes with responsibilities and costs. But the benefits outweigh the costs.”