The strength of the human and animal bond has been known for a long time. However, scientific evidence showing how it all work was only published about 30 years ago by a psychologist from Purdue University, Alan Beck. In the present time, there is now a great amount of data confirming how pets are good for your psychological health.
It was observed that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions. Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful, and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners. All of these differences reveal more desirable characteristics for pet owners than for non-owners, and the individual-difference advantages exhibited by pet owners indicate that pet owners can extend their general social competencies to pets. It was demonstrated that these well-being benefits were more pronounced for owners whose dogs filled social needs more effectively. That is, to the extent that their dogs fulfilled needs related to belongingness, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control, owners enjoyed a range of better outcomes (i.e., less depression, less loneliness, greater self-esteem, greater happiness, and less perceived stress). It was found that dogs that were less fearful, more active, and less aggressive toward people and other animals were viewed by their owners as fulfilling ownersâ social needs better. Similar to the findings involving owner personality, it appears that healthier dog personalities are more beneficial for owner wellbeing.
âIf you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.â âTwain, Puddânhead Wilson. The Mark Twain quote echoes the popular adage that a dog is âmanâs best friend.â With over 77 million dogs and 93 million cats in the United States alone (62% of U.S. households own a pet, with spending exceeding $45 billion annually), it is clear that pets are both ubiquitous and important entities (American Pet Products Association, 2011). In summary, the present work presents considerable evidence that pets benefit the lives of their owners, both psychologically and physically, by serving as an important source of social support. Given our increasing understanding of the consequences of loneliness and social connection (e.g., Twenge et al., 2007; Williams, 2007) and how social support plays a critical role in stress, illness, and even mortality (e.g., House et al., 1988; Uchino et al., 1996), identifying when and how pets serve ownersâ social needs is important. Whereas past work has focused primarily on pet owners facing significant health challenges (e.g., Friedmann & Thomas, 1995; Siegel et al., 1999), the present study establishes that there are many positive consequences for everyday people who own pets.
