As an undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Art History, stress is all too familiar to me. As someone living with depression (I was diagnosed in 2011), debilitating sadness is something with which I am well acquainted. An upcoming presentation, nearing math exam, and insurmountable feeling of loneliness were catalysts for both of these circumstances this past weekend when I found myself cocooned in a fetal position, mid-panic attack, on my apartment floor on Saturday night.

Granted, this is nothing new for me. It happens. Every day is an accomplishment, and I have trained myself to treat every personal victory – academic or social, no matter how small – as a major achievement.

The funny thing about panic attacks is that the immense anxiety which they entail often swells to include the most trivial, or uncorrelated, of things. So, it was with wry amusement when I caught myself sobbing hysterically about my dog and whatever the hell I did to deserve her.

I adopted Natty (lovingly named after Natural Light, a personal favorite) back in May, anticipating that I would take her Lubbock with me and not anticipating that I would fall in love with the last dog left at an adoption fair in north Dallas. She was nothing like what I envisioned for my first dog; I pictured a docile, hypoallergenic shih tzu, similar to my mom’s fur baby of four years, no more than 15 pounds. Natty was a short-haired miniature pinscher who shed, had a chronic liver disease, and was more of a Fat Nat than a Natty Lite. (You can find her gracing the cover photo of this article). It was love at first sight. Even now, my love for that sweet animal grows every day.

Although I would like to think that I have given Natty so much, from the covers to Cane’s to a live-in custodian, my fur baby has shown me so much more love than I can ever show her. She’s my person (dogs are people, too).

Countless research has been done substantiating both the physical and psychological benefits of dog ownership. Such studies have precipitated the advent of pet therapy in hospitals, psychiatric settings, and nursing homes. “Therapy dogs,” animals trained to let wigged-out college students (which look just like they sound) love on and play with them, have become mainstays on college campuses. This research is easily disregarded, though – anyone who has a companion animal can attest to the subsequent health benefits. The statistics and benefits all start to merge into one another. However, as a student living with a discouraging workload and depressive disorder, I find it pertinent to specifically address, synthesizing both research and my personal experience, how owning Natty has positively benefitted me physically, academically, socially, and emotionally.

Physically.

Dogs have been explicitly linked to improved heart health. In a statement by the American Heart Association, “Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk,” the ACA specifically outlines the positive benefits of owning a companion animal on heart health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, something of which every college student should be aware as he or she ages. The many benefits include “favorable lipid profiles, lower systemic blood pressure, improved autonomic tone, diminished sympathetic responses to stress, and improved survival after an acute coronary syndrome.” (Frankly, I don’t know what half of this means, but it’s all good). Most notably, pet ownership has been linked to lower blood pressure. Likewise, scientists have found “a positive or beneficial relationship between pet ownership and autonomic function or cardiovascular reactivity to stress.” Pet owners have significantly lower resting baseline heart rates and blood pressure, significantly smaller increases in heart rate and blood pressure in response to stress, and return to these baselines at a faster rate once stress ceases. Ergo, physical reactivity to stress and recovery is improved by owning a companion animal. In addition to maintaining heart health, pet ownership “may provide cardio-protective benefits in patients with established CVD”: mortality rates were lower amongst pet owners with CVD. The ACA surmises that pet – particularly, dog – ownership bears a direct correlation to decreased and reducing CVD risk.

Insert pun about “my dog makes my heart happy” here.

Heart health provides an excellent segue into my next point: improved exercise and decreased obesity levels. Pet ownership is no remedial task. Personally, I still struggle with regularly walking my dog (it sounds even worse saying it on paper). However, because of my canine child’s need for regular exercise, I leave my apartment and climb more flights of stairs more often than I would without the responsibility of walking Natty. The ACA writes, “Of all pets, dogs appear most likely to positively influence the level of human physical activity.” Bar crawls may count for something, but such is insufficient to counteract the negative health effects of binge drinking – hence, where owning a pet comes into play. The ACA continues, “Participation in physical activity jointly by pets and humans is one mechanism whereby pet ownership may reduce obesity.” Ways by which this occurs include strengthening regular exercise routines by providing encouragement and motivation and reducing perceived barriers (e.g., concerns about neighborhood safety or walking alone across campus) that are impediments to physical activity. Dale Lavine, in “Viewpoint: College Pet Owners May Be Happier, Healthier,” quotes Glenn Levine, a cardiologist at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, as saying that “dog owners were 54% more likely than other adults to get recommended levels of exercise.” At college, more so than anywhere else, it’s all too easy to succumb to the usual excuses not to work out (gym-phobia is a personal fallback) and remain stationary in a library or dorm room. Hence, canine companions provide sufficient measures to improve exercise and reduce obesity.

The greatest physical health benefit to me, since I have owned Natty, has been the encouragement to quit smoking. It’s a god-awful habit, one which I have been planning to quit the past two years, and the nastiest possible thing (my family harasses me about it to no avail). However, studies have shown that pet ownership has effectively encouraged many smokers to put down the pack. While an estimated 50,000 Americans lose their lives to second-hand smoke annually, studies have shown that animals also face health risks from exposure to the toxins in second-hand smoke, ranging from respiratory problems and allergies to nasal and lung cancer. For that reason, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has listed tobacco smoke as a toxin dangerous to pets. Hence, many pet owners, upon learning of such potential dangers, have been provoked to quit. In “Pet Owners’ Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Smoking and Second-Hand Smoke: A Pilot Study,” R. M. Davis, A. L. Holm, and S. M. Milberger provide results from a web-based survey they conducted investigating pet owners’ smoking behavior and policies on smoking in their homes. They offer, “Pet owners who did smoke reported that information on pet exposure to [second-hand smoke] would motivate them to try to quit smoking (28.4%) and ask the people with whom they live to quit smoking (8.7%) or not to smoke indoors (14.2%).”

However, lesser-known risks arise from “third-hand smoke,” coined in Harvard Medical School Study. “How Cigarettes and Smoking Impact Your Pet’s Health,” an article posted by Healthy Pets, explains third-hand smoke as the “invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, cars, and carpeting that lingers long after the second-hand smoke has cleared the room.” Pets are particularly susceptible to this residue, since they come in contact with the polluted surfaces, groom themselves, and ingest any toxic particles. Having learning this, I am personally provoked to quit smoking.

Academically.

As a result of the positive impact dog ownership has on heart health, pet owners have demonstrated a greater capacity to work under stress. In “The Benefits of Pets for Human Health,” Dana Casciotti, Ph.D., and Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., share the outcome of a 2002 study. Researchers measured changes in heart rate and blood pressure between pet owners and non-pet owners when participants were under stress, performing a timed math task (which is oddly reminiscent of an algebra exam I took earlier today). By reducing stress, pet ownership enables owners to perform accurate and quickly under pressure, which may be indicative of increased focus or concentration in an academic environment.

Little evidence suggests that animals may improve learning, or the ability to learn, but studies have substantiated that animals may positively affect the preconditions for learning. I refer to “Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin” by Andrea Beetz, Henri Julius, Kurt Kotrschal, and Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg. According to the authors of a 2007 studio in which groups of developmentally delayed and normally developed children performed a motor skill task faster and with the same accuracy when a companion animal was present, “one explanation could be that the dog served as an effective motivator, another that the presence of the dog led to increased relaxation and a reduction of stress during execution of the task thus increasing speed of performance.” When pre-school children with and without language impairment successfully followed instructions during an imitation task better when a dog was present, “they needed fewer prompts (as an indicator of concentration) for a memory task in the presence of a dog.” In a 2003 study on children’s in-classroom behavior, “[scientists] found that children paid more attention to the teacher when a dog was present in the classroom.” Reviewing these case studies, it seems clear that a dog’s presence in an educational setting may support concentration, attention, motivation, and relaxation. I can only attest to my improved work when Natty is present while I’m studying, but I damn sure wish that I could give an account about bringing my dog to class.

Socially.

Pet owners are notorious for creating instant bonds with one another. Dog parks, the regular dog walk route, and dog-welcoming events are like breeding grounds for friendships between dog moms (and dads). Beetz and her co-authors refer to this phenomenon as the “social catalyst effect,” referencing the facilitation of interpersonal interactions by companion animals. In a study organized by Virginia Commonwealth University, some employees in a workplace environment were allowed to bring animals and others were not. “The team observed unique dog-related communication in the workplace that may contribute to employee performance and satisfaction.” For example, an employee not partaking in the study was observed requesting to walk a co-worker’s dog on a break. Casciotti and Zuckerman added, “The social support provided by a pet might also encourage more social interactions with people, reducing feelings of isolation of loneliness.” I still don’t know everyone on my floor by name, but I do know each of their dogs and their dogs’ names, which always leads to a polite conversation and leaves me feeling a bit more enthused.

Canine companions may further improve existing social relationships. I return to “Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions.” Multiple experiments cited in the study documented a friendly animal’s presence positively increasing trust toward other humans, even prompted participants to open up more. Such is the reason that all fraternity boys should bring dogs to all social events.

Emotionally.

One of my biggest struggles, both a trigger and effect of my depression, is loneliness and isolation. Kathleen Doheny, in “Pets for Depression and Health,” says it best: “Depression can isolate you.” However, like Doheny says, “If you have a pet, you’re never alone.” Like I did last weekend, I find solace in knowing that Natty will always be there for me; she couldn’t ditch me if she tried (she definitely did try on move-in weekend, when she wiggled out of her leash and charged head-first towards Glenna Goodacre Boulevard).

Routine and responsibility are additional benefits of pet ownership that explicitly target depression. Doheny writes, “Having a daily schedule helps people with depression. An animal’s natural routine… can help you stay on track.” Too many mornings, I’ve felt too discouraged, that anything I did was a futile effort, or too down to get out of bed; there was a three-day period at Tufts during which I only left my room to use the bathroom or pick up food I had ordered. The obligation to feed and exercise Natty, however, has consistently motivated me to get moving. “Taking care of yourself may seem hard enough. But experts say that adding a little responsibility can help. It adds a new and positive focus to your life.” Such responsibilities have driven a routine that has both stabilized me and provided me with some consistency. Therese Borchand, in “Six Ways Pets Relieve Depression,” further contributes, “With pets come great responsibility, and responsibility promotes mental health.” By taking ownership of a task, pet owners build their self-esteem. When they succeed at these tasks (when Natty is still breathing in the morning), they reinforce the realization that they are capable of caring for another creature, as well as themselves. Care-taking roles empower pet owners with a sense of responsibility and purpose that contributes to overall well-being.

Dogs and their soft coats promote furry touch, which then promotes emotional well-being. Borchand writes both about a 45-minute massage, which decreases stress hormone cortisol levels and optimizes the immune system by building white blood cells, and hugging, which releases oxytocin, a stress-releasing hormone, in the body and lowers blood pressure and heart writes. According to a University of Virginia study, holding hands can reduce stress-related activity in the hypothalamus region of the brain (part of our emotional network). As it turns out, touch can stop certain regions of the brain from responding to threat clues. Hence, when stroking an animal lowers blood pressure and heart rates and boosts serotonin and dopamine levels, pet ownerships is effectively proven to promote mental well-being via the sensory experience.

Pet ownership further benefits psychological health by gifting owners with unconditional love. Doheny refers to this as “uncomplicated love,” because, although loving relationships with family and friends may be complicated, a pet provides abounding love that knows no caveats. Borchand backs this up, writing, “As far as we know, pets are without opinions, critiques, and verdicts.” The positive benefit of this? “Findings suggest that the social support a pet provides can make a personal feel more relaxed and decrease stress,” Casciotti and Zuckerman offer, whereas social support from loved ones offering similar benefits may also cause stress. Case in point: dogs will always be better than boyfriends.