Our pet store blog usually focuses on information, but today we’re going to have fun with a universal truth: dogs are amazing. Here are just 8 of the many incredible benefits of adopting a dog.

Dogs Make You Exercise

Firstly, dogs keep you moving. As they need between 30 minutes and 2 hours of exercise per day to stay healthy, you can’t own a dog and not rack up those steps.

That’s not to mention more energetic pooches that need to run off their excess vigour before they’ll settle down in their dog bed. Their energy is infectious too. You can’t walk, run, or play with a dog and not take in some of that wired, frantic joy that flows through them.

Dogs Teach You Responsibility

All pets teach you a sense of responsibility and discipline. Whether you install an aquarium full of fish, have to remember to buy dog food or lock your doors to stop a tortoise running free, every pet needs your attention. Having a dog is hard work in a lot of ways. You have to walk and feed them consistently. You should research the best pet food. Bark collars and training classes and finding those life-changing Chuckit throwers: it all adds up in terms of cost, time, and energy. It’s no coincidence that people often take care of dogs for a couple of years before having children. It’s worth it, of course. Taking care of a creature you love unconditionally is one of the greatest joys in life.

Related: Dog Toys and Accessories Master Guide

They Keep You Social

Aquariums are beautiful, but you can’t drag one around the park and meet other avid fish owners. No dog owner can go for a walk without someone stopping to compliment, pat, or just smile at their dog – except perhaps on the rainiest of Vancouver days. But through those rainy days, you have a companion. Dogs don’t just help you feel less lonely, they actively attract people. It’s easy to make fast friends when you have an adorable icebreaker sniffing everything in sight.

True Companions

The phrase “man’s best friend” is parroted all over the world because it’s true. But it doesn’t quite sell the relationship between us and our dogs.

They truly are a best friend. Dogs don’t fall out with you when you’re in a bad mood. They curl up with you when you’re sick. They’re always happy to see you. They don’t want to spend time with anyone else as much as they do you. They’ll go with you anywhere if you let them, through good and bad. Working in Vancouver vets and pet stores, we see so many people who hurt when their dogs hurt and are happy when they’re happy. That’s true companionship.

Dogs Are Family

Some people think a child makes a family. Though biased, we tend to steer more towards dogs. Mutual love for another thing that both loves you to bits and is dependent on you? That sounds like a pooch to us. Whether you have kids, are thinking of starting a family or are content as a couple, adding a dog is always a positive. That doesn’t mean get a dog to fix a relationship. It simply means that dogs are the cherry on the cake to an already loving family.

Pets Reduce Stress

Stress relief is a side effect of all the previously mentioned benefits. Having a loveable pal around to cheer you up, keep you active, help you make friends and complete your family does wonders for your mental health. The calming presence of a dog is what makes them ideal as therapeutic support animals. It’s tough to get worked up in front of a dog or fail to feel a release of tension when they come wagging up to you all happy.

Dogs Save Lives

Dogs are loyal to their “owners.” Your faithful companion might even save your life. Think police dogs and sniffer dogs. Dogs that help blind people, diabetics and epileptics. They sleep lightly, guarding your home from intruders with unfamiliar scents. How many clickbait headlines do we see of heroic dogs saving their owners from floods or fires? Your pal will protect you above themselves every time.

Joy and More Joy

Finally, the most obvious point. Dogs just make you happy. They radiate joy to everyone around them. It’s exceedingly difficult to be around a dog and not have a smile on your face. That furry face looking up at you from the depths of a dog bed: they’re so dumb and sweet and funny. Having a dog will bring you true joy and the little they ask in return seems like a small price to us.

If you’re considering getting a dog, you can find extensive info on our blog, where we’ve been writing about them for years. Find accessories and pet food for all kinds of companions here. Any cat food queries, veterinary needs, pet problems or fish issues, feel free to get in contact with us.