Friends with benefits

I've been on two walkies today with my dog. To me, that's a sign of a happy, stress-free day. When I'm with Scout I smile just because she makes me smile, I don't worry about things because I'm too busy looking for a stick or laughing at her antics and I am approached by a lot more strangers just wanting to give her a scratch and tell me how cute she is. I know.

The BBC reported a couple of years back on how healthy it is to own a dog. They spoke to psychologist Dr Deborah Wells from Queen's University, Belfast, who said that dog owners often had lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Yays! She has reviewed dozens of research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership and saw that dog owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems than the general population. Plus, dogs may aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks.

Dr Wells said "The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."

A beautiful creature that makes you smile and play and gets you out into grassy fields and fresh air? That's my girl...