Dogs and Mental Health

You may have see on Instagram (more than a few times), that we got our first dog! Her name is Piccadilly and she has stole our hearts. 

We love taking walks in our woods and she is a great explorer. Not only is Dilly getting me outside walking and enjoying nature more, she is helping my mood too! 

More research is finding that our furry friends actually benefit our mental health as well as physical health. I love this article from PsychCentral about this topic.  

I love taking my clients to the humane society to volunteer. It is unbelievable how much their moods brighten after spending time with the animals! Research from Basset Medical Center (2015) have found that kids who grow up with pets are less likely to suffer from anxiety related disorders. I know I have personally written in interactions with pets and dogs into my professional recommendations. 

I find the research behind why this is very interesting! The image below highlights the main reasons why dogs promote healthy social and emotional development.  

This gives me all the more reason to enjoy the outdoors with Dilly for myself!