According to Texas A&M University, numerous studies show that pets provide undisputed medical benefits:
(1) Dog owners have lower blood pressure. It only takes 10 minutes in the company of a dog to significantly reduce blood pressure rates.
(2) Owning a dog is estimated to decrease heart attack mortality rates by 3% - many thousands of lives a year.
(3) Dog owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-dog owners.
(4) In a study of Medicare patients, dog owners made 21% fewer trips to a physician.
(5) Children exposed to dogs during their first years of life have a lower frequency of some allergies and asthma.
(6) Pet owners have better overall physical health due to exercise with their pets.
So what's your excuse? Dogs make wonderful trail companions and it is a hobby you can do anywhere, at anytime of the year.
For dog owners it is important to realize that not all parks are open to our four-legged friends. it is sometimes hard for dog owners to believe but not everyone loves dogs. We are, in fact, in the minority when compared with our non-dog-owning neighbors. As such, rules can change rapidly to ban dogs from even more of our public parks. It doesn't take a referendum or a ballot count for "NO DOGS" signs to appear overnight.
So make sure your dog is a good citizen on the trail - don't bother other hikers and pick up after him - and you will be embarking on a passion that will last a lifetime.
Get fit - grab a leash and hit the trail!
No Dogs Allowed?
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