Dogs with thriving social networks have improved health and wellness long-term, a new Arizona State University study found.
An active social life was shown to be five times more effective in improving health outcomes than financial conditions, household stability and even the owner’s age, the findings show.
Students at Arizona State’s School of Life Sciences conducted the study by surveying more than 21,000 dog owners. They sought to learn how genetics, lifestyle and environment can affect aging and disease outcomes.
The team asked owners a series of questions about themselves and Fido, including what kind of environment they lived in, what diet their dog had, and what medications if any their dog was on.
Then researchers flagged five factors — neighborhood stability, total household income, social time with children, social time with animals and owner age — to get a full picture of the dog’s social environment and well-being.
One of the study’s surprising findings was the negative connection between children and a dog’s health.
“We found that time with children actually had a detrimental effect on dog health,” study co-author Layla Brassington told SciTechDaily.com. “The more children or time that owners dedicate to their children likely leads to less time with their furry children.”
Researchers also found that dogs with owners struggling financially and living in adverse conditions were more likely to have poor health.
Dogs living among other canines with the ability to run around and play, meanwhile, was associated with better health.
“This does show that, like many social animals, including humans, having more social companions can be really important for the dog’s health,” said ASU graduate student Bri McCoy, who headed up the study.