Imagine having a best friend who always knows when you’re sad and can even help your heart stay strong. That’s exactly what a dog does. They are much more than just pets; they are helpers for our lives. Dogs are the best friends. They make people feel happy when they are sad. Dogs want you to play with them and go for walks. Taking care of a dog helps people stay strong and healthy.

Dogs help people manage their emotions by being constant friends who are always there to listen. When someone pets a dog, it can make their body feel calm and help their heart beat at a steady pace. These animals are very good at noticing when a person is sad or worried.  A dog might sit close to someone or give them a gentle attitude to let them know they care. For instance, Osbourn freshman Jeily Rodriguez mentions that, ”They help you feel calmer and happier when you’re in a sad mood when you have no one else.” As well as freshman Melanie Perez mentioned, ”Dogs can help you with your moods when you feel different expressions like sad mostly, and they can sense how you feel and treat you with lots of love and comfort.”

There are many reasons why a dog can be a wonderful friend to a person. One big positive is that dogs give a person a reason to move and play. Going for a walk outside with a dog helps someone feel strong and keeps their body healthy. Dogs are also very good at helping people feel better when they are sad or lonely. As sophomore, Yesli Reyes mentions ”The pros are you always have a best friend to hang out with, and they help you get outside and exercise, and cons you can’t just go on vacation whenever you want.” As sophomore, Reyes commented that a big challenge is that you cannot just go on vacation whenever you want because the dog needs someone to stay with him. It can also be expensive to pay for a dog’s food and visits to the doctor.  Another challenge is that a dog might sometimes make a mistake by using the bathroom in a place where they are not supposed to, also as freshman Haley Perez said ”The pros are that they can make a mistake by using the bathroom somewhere they shouldn’t be using the bathroom at, and pros are good emotional support, cute, and all of the above.”

Thinking about having more dogs is a big choice for a person to make. One good thing is that having two dogs means there is even more love and more friends to play with at home. As sophomore Yesli Reyes said, “It is great to always have a best friend to hang out with, and two dogs could help a person stay even more active.” For someone like freshman Jeily Rodriguez, who likes how dogs help with stress, having another dog might make a home feel even calmer and happier. Another great thing about having more dogs is that it helps a person stay very busy and healthy. Each dog needs to go for walks and play outside, which gives their owner more reasons to get fresh air and exercise, as freshman Kiara Rosales mentions ”I can see myself having more dogs. I grew up having dogs, and they have helped me so much, and I think that having multiple would just be so fun.”

Service dogs

Service dogs are amazing helpers. They can pick up things you drop and push buttons to open doors; some listen for sounds like doorbells or alarms to help people who can’t hear well. Others help brave soldiers feel safe or wake them up from bad dreams. There are even dogs that can tell if someone needs to eat a snack to stay healthy. They are hard workers and best friends, according to https://canine.org/service-dogs/our-dogs/who-we-serve/.

Would you get a dog? Tell us in the comments and let us know!