News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Dog Ownership and Survival by Angostura on Wednesday October 09, 2019 @06:11AM (#21201696)
So the question the, becomes - if you own a dog, but someone else in the family walks/feeds it - are there any health benefits?

If not, you have a study showing that 'Dog ownership promotes regular healthy walking'.

Re:Dog Ownership and Survival by Spooky23 on Wednesday October 09, 2019 @08:11AM (#21202388)
I think that commenters are assuming that dog walking is the benefit.

That’s a factor, but a few studies have shown association with a dog in a household (not ownership) has positive effect.

Companionship is a key factor with dogs and a key deficiency in many people. The human-dog relationship is unique because we snap into the dogs innate pack structure. Dogs want to take care of us, and that brings joy.

I’ve seen it with elderly folks and my own son. Our family dog made herself my son’s training wheels when he was learning to walk.