If you are reading this article, then you most likely own a dog. Owning a dog maybe be a lot of work and responsibility, but the rewards are priceless. We have a canine companion that would go to the ends of the earth and back for us. But the question is are dogs good for your soul?
I’d have to say yes, dogs are good for your soul. I’ll list the reasons as to why I believe our canine friends are good for the soul.
Reasons Why Dogs Are Good For Your Soul
Dogs Are Always Happy
Have you noticed that your dog is happy for the most part? It is true, dogs are happy creatures. When you come home from work, they are there to greet you with a smile, wagging tail and most likely lots and lots of kisses. They are content with just sitting around and relaxing whether it is inside on the couch or maybe laying under a tree in the yard or cottage with you. They are happy just to spend time with you. You are their best friend in their minds and they form a strong bond with you for life.
Since dogs are always happy and positive, that energy will automatically fall onto you. For example, you have come home from a really bad day at work, or some driver on the road has put you in a foul mood. As soon as you open your front door and your dog is there the greet you, the negativity leaves. This negativity is replaced with happiness is it not?. If you have not noticed this, then next time you come home upset see how you feel after you have spent a few minutes with your pup.
Happiness is good for the soul. If that happiness comes from your dog, then your dog is good for your soul.
Exercising With Your Dog
Having a dog means keeping active to make sure your dog is healthy mentally and physically. Dogs love being outside. And they are not really picky about what the activity is. They could go for a long walk or jog, or they could play a game of fetch. Whatever the activity may be, it will definitely be good for the both of you physically healthy.
Physical Benefits of Daily Exercising
- Lose weight
- Gain Muscle
- Good for your heart
- Good for muscles
- Increase energy levels
- Reduce pain
- Good for bones
Exercising does great things for your body. But did you know that it also helps you mentally?
Mental Benefits of Daily Exercising
- Helps with Depression and Anxiety
- Decreases stress
- Increase self-esteem and confidence in your self
- Better sleep (I think we could all agree we need more of this)
- Boosts brain activity
- Help with memory
- Feel Happier
As you can see daily exercise is great to keep you physically and mentally healthy. If you are physically and mentally healthy, then your soul will be as well.
So, get out there and start working out. You and your dog will benefit greatly from it.
Dogs Can Improve Mental Health
There are dogs that have been trained to work with people who suffer from mental health issues. These dogs are called service dogs. They have a job that is very important. Some people suffer from extreme anxiety and therefore they have a service dog that helps them. This dog is trained to be able to realize when someone is about to have an anxiety attack, and they are right there to comfort them. The service dog will stay with them through their attack, and help them get through it. For this person, that dog means the world to them, and puts them and their souls at ease.
Another example is you may be feeling stressed out about something that you really can’t control. Not being in control can be frightening. Being around your dog can change your mood almost immediately. I say this from experience. If I’m stressed out, all I need is to see my furry little dog Kiki and all the negativity is gone.
Dogs Reduce The Feeling Of Loneliness
Feeling lonely can have a very negative effect on a person’s soul and mental health. This is a top fear of most people. No one wants to feel alone in life. Having a dog to spend time with every day and take care can make anyone feel better. They may not be a human, but dogs are a really great companion, and guess what? They have unconditional love for us. True, they can’t speak, but their actions mean way more than words in my opinion.
A dog can sense when we are feeling down, and they want nothing more than for us to just as happy as them. So our dogs will do whatever they can to bring our spirits up.
A few ways a dog will try and cheer up its owner is by:
- Pawing: The dog is trying to get its owner’s attention to let them know they can sense unhappiness
- Licking: A dog will lick its owner showing them love and letting them know in their own way that everything will be okay and that they love him/her
- Laying in lap: A dog will lay in its owner’s lap to comfort him/her. This is another way they let their owner know that they are there for them
- Hugging: Some dogs will sit on their owner’s lap and literally lay their arms on the owner’s shoulders and rest their head on the chest of its owner
As you can see there are many great ways a dog can make you happy and not feel so lonely. They make great companions and love us dearly. These happy little spirits are great for the soul.
Dogs also do wonders for people who suffer from PTSD. People who suffer from this are people who really feel lonely. A person who suffers from PTSD may feel they cannot talk to anyone about how they feel because they may think that no one understands. This can really make someone feel totally and utterly alone. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are dogs who are trained to help these people and will do whatever they can to make them happy, lift their spirits and reignited the fire in their souls.
Conclusion
We have gone over a few reasons as to why dogs are good for the soul. Dogs are always happy, and therefore that happy energy is passed on to us. Exercising with our dogs keeps us physically and mentally healthy, therefore keeping our soul healthy. They can sense when we are sad and will do everything in their power to brighten our mood. A canine can help anyone who is feeling lonely by just being in the same room with us.
Dogs are in my opinion the best animal companion you can ever have, even over a human. They get us and love us unconditionally. Their souls are of the sweetest and kindest and they share that soul with us. How lucky we truly are to have the magnificent creatures in our lives?
Frequently Ask Questions
What Is A Soul?
The soul is said to be a separate entity in your body that makes you the person you are, and that will live on even after you are dead. According to certain religions, it is said that the soul is the part of you that is immortal and will enter heaven after your body has died.
Do Dogs Have Souls?
According to the poem The Rainbow Bridge, when dogs die their souls go the green meadow and wait there until their human companion joins them. While the dog is there waiting for their human, they get to play with all the other animals there. These animals get endless food, water, and playtime.
Once their human companion dies, the human soul is reunited with the dog’s soul in the meadow. Here they approach the rainbow bridge, and both souls cross it together and enter heaven.
Recommended Dog Gear
Take a look at our Recommended page for a variety of dog products and items. Here are some of the things you can expect:
- Dog Houses – For small dog breeds, medium dogs, large dogs, and even extra large dog houses!
- Books, Literature, and Media – We’re working on compiling hundreds of titles of the best video, audio, and books we can find on dogs just for you.
- Gifts – Only gifts for the discerning dog, and maybe something nice for you too.
- Harnesses, Collars, and Leashes – We don’t recommend anything that will harm a dog. At DHT we believe in a harm-free training experience so you won’t find any of those collars that cut into the dog’s neck. And no shock stuff either. But, we do have some very cool tech collars worth looking at.
- Dog Life Jackets and Other Specialty Equipment – Keep your dog safe with you out on the water this summer.
- GPS and Tracking Collars – As mentioned, very cool tech collars worth checking.
- Dishes for Dog Food and Water – No garbage, only decent products. We like stuff that will last and won’t fade in the sun.
- We’ve got more reviews coming at you all the time so stay tuned for more from the Dog House Times team!
Bibliography
Wikipedia
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