How dogs make our lives better

Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? You wouldn't if you had a dog! An alarm clock can be ignored, but you can't hit the snooze button on a pooch's bladder. And unlike a child jumping on your head at six in the morning demanding waffles, you can't tell your dog to just go pour itself a bowl of Cheerios. You've got to get up, let it out to do its business, feed it, and while you're at it, you might as well start your day. In addition to helping us get up and go, dogs also inspire us to go on more walks, jogs, and trips to the park.  Our furry friends do such a good job helping us burn calories that I'm surprised we haven't seen a pooch on the panel of The Biggest Loser.

How many people do you know who would let you dress them in funny sunglasses and a goofy hat, and then upload a hilarious viral video of their antics? Probably not many. But dogs will willingly wear just about anything for the sake of our entertainment. This isn't an accident. Dr. Emily Weiss, Senior Director of Shelter Research and Development for the ASPCA says that, "Often times dogs respond to the human smile. They learn our laughter. They realize something good could happen, so they'll repeat those behaviors that can make us laugh." We actually train our dogs to love our laughter—even if they're the butt of the joke! Just try laughing at your spouse's sunglasses and see how far that gets you.

Dogs love us so much that the only thing they don't do for us is cook our breakfasts and bring us flowers (though maybe that's what they're trying to do when they dig up the backyard flowerbed). Alternatively, they give us an opportunity to show them a level of affection that can change both our lives and theirs. Jonathan Klein, an expert dog trainer and behaviorist from Los Angles says that, "I meet a lot of people who are first time dog owners. Before they got a dog, they'd say they could take it or leave it. But after about a week the dog has completely transformed their lives." Human relationships can break up, but a dog will never leave you. In fact, they'll usually follow you from room-to-room as you move through the house. How's that for devotion!

A rarely talked about, but very important contribution dogs make to our lives is that of being our flatulence scapegoats. World doggery has bravely and unashamedly accepted responsibility for millions of liters of ghastly human gas. They can also be found taking the blame for broken lamps, mysterious wet spots, and even on the accusations of more imaginative children, crayon doodles on walls and coffee tables. No matter if your dog is taking the blame for a smell or a spill, we owe our furry friends a debt of gratitude for owning up to our odors and accidents.

It's no coincidence that there's a yoga position called Downward Facing Dog. Dogs are such great stress-reducers, it's only natural they be associated with yoga. David Niven PhD, the author of 100 Simple Secrets Why Dogs Make Us Happy (Harper Collins) states that, "The biggest effect dogs have is on our health. Contact with the dog reduces our stress level 9 times longer than the contact itself. You spend 5 minutes with your dog, it gives you 45 minutes of having a healthier system."  For balance we must also mention that coming home to a dog that has treated the couch like a chew toy will not lower stress. But those are typically situations in which operator error (i.e. human training) is to blame.

There are so many dogs in the medical profession that there should probably be framed obedience school certificates on the walls next to the doctors' diplomas. Nicole Iammatteo, an occupational therapist at Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN describes just one of the minor miracles our canine companions can work with kids:  "There's a little boy who had a stroke, and doesn't use the right side of his body very much. So we have him brush the dog with his right hand.  Now he's working on things to get better, but it's not stressful, it's fun."  Dogs can also comfort those suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), smell cancers, and even sense when an epileptic is about to have a seizure. If dogs were any more integral to the medical profession, we'd be able to make co-pays with squeaky toys.

Who would ever think that some of the best reading tutors for children can't even speak a language? But amazingly, specially trained dogs help many kids become confident readers. Jane Paley, author of Hooper Finds a Family (Harper Collins) shares the secret to a reading dog's success: "When kids aren't confident readers, it's because they feel like they're being judged. But a dog doesn't correct your pronunciation. The worst thing a dog will do is yawn. The students begin to read out loud to the dog, and they get confident, and get a kick out of it!" Plus, a dog is one of the few animals that can actually live on a teacher's salary.

Not only do dogs love us, they help us find love. Any young man looking for a date need only sit outside his nearby yogurt shop with an adorable doggie. Before he knows it, women will stop and ask, "Your dog is so cute! Can I pet him?" And the answer, of course, is almost always, "Yes you can!" Beyond being cute conversation starters, having a dog shows that you're capable of caring for another living thing, and just might be a keeper. Now whose tail is wagging!?

Dogs also help law enforcement find explosives and hidden narcotics, help the visually impaired navigate the world, and even work to rehabilitate prison inmates—to say nothing of the work they do as our roving furry doorbells and guard dogs. They make our world such a better place that the next time someone says your house smells like dog, don't be offended. Say, "I know. Thank you!"