Do You Suffer from Anxiety? Here are 6 Reasons Why You Must Own a Dog!

Anxiety, or panic, attacks can be debilitating. While you may try numerous things to try to keep them under control, those options may not always help. In fact, your panic attacks may cause you to miss out on more than you want to, simply because you have no idea how you will feel at any given time. If you happen to own a dog though, your anxiety attacks may be a thing of the past. There are many reasons for this, and we are going to share the best ones with you today. 

Do You Suffer from Anxiety? Here are 6 Reasons Why You Must Own a Dog!

1 Dogs Never Take No for an Answer When You Have a Panic Attack

Your dog will instantly know you are in the middle of an anxiety attack, and they will start to nudge you until you respond. If you want a way to nip your panic attacks in the bud quickly, a dog can definitely help you out by distracting you. 

2 Dogs Will Recognize the Signs Before You Do

A dog can also help you prevent a panic attack from forming, because they will know it is coming long before you do. Dogs can feel stress and recognize changes in breathing patterns, so they will be right there to help calm you down. 

3 Dogs Can Help You Relax

There is nothing more relaxing than petting and snuggling with your dog. Research shows that these two things will instantly lower your blood pressure and heart rate, while shifting your focus to prevent, or stop, anxiety attacks. 

4 Medication Reminders

If you happen to take medication for your anxiety, your dog can be trained to remind you to take it. We know how easy it is to become distracted around the time you need to take your medicine. Even setting an alarm won’t help, because you can turn it off and instantly focus on what you were originally thinking about. Your dog can softly nudge you until you finally get up to take your medication. 

5 Dogs Can Apply Pressure for Therapeutic Results

Anxiety attacks can happen out of nowhere, but if you are laying down, your dog can place their head on your chest. The pressure from their head can instantly relax you. If you are not laying down, your dog can place their head on your lap or even press it up against your side. 

6 Dogs Can Alert Family Members

Your dog will do their best to calm you down if you are having a panic attack. But if they aren’t successful, they can also go alert someone else in the house. This ensures that a family member or friend can grab medication, come talk to you, or even call an ambulance or your doctor if necessary. 

These are the six reasons why you must own a dog if you suffer from anxiety. There are many other reasons why a dog can be helpful for your condition, but these are the most common reasons we have heard of from people who suffer from anxiety.