The Pet Effect: Exploring the Benefits of Pets for the Whole Family

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to have a pet, you probably already know how much of an incredible and profound impact they have on your life. But did you know there’s a term to describe this? Known as “the pet effect”, the phrase was coined by research scientist Karen Allen in 2003, during her study on pets and blood pressure. This explains the numerous benefits pets have on people, both physical and mental. Let’s dig into what these are and explore how amazing animals can be for the whole family. 

Can Improve Heart Health

Several studies have shown the positive effect getting a dog can have on heart health. This is largely due to not only the cardiovascular effects of additional exercise, but the calming effect pets can have, too. In turn, this can reduce blood pressure and stress. Studies also suggest that there may also be a potential link between lower cholesterol and triglycerides (type of blood fat) levels and dog ownership! *

Encourages Activity

Keeping active can have a wide range of advantages for those of any age. Beyond the cardiovascular benefits, a lack of movement has been associated with a range of conditions including back pain, depression, and obesity.

Dogs in particular, therefore, can be a fantastic way to keep fit, with daily walks and plenty of running around required! Other pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, horses, chickens, and hamsters can also encourage a more active lifestyle through playtime. In fact, more social animals like guinea pigs, for example, thrive when playing with their owners.

Teach Children and Teens Responsibility

The pet effect is widespread across the entire family. Depending on your child’s age, introducing a four-legged friend to the family can be great for teaching responsibility. While it will likely be mostly you, as the adult, primarily taking care of the animal, you can encourage your child to help out, where possible with age-appropriate tasks.

Jobs such as feeding, grooming, or exercising the pet not only show your child what it takes to look after another being but also instil a sense of purpose and pride. This responsibility can also hold children accountable for sticking to a routine, knowing they have to get a certain task done by a certain time, and can help them to feel like an active contributor to the household.

Emotional-Regulation in Children

Emotional Regulation refers to how we manage our emotions. Consider how you respond to making a mistake at work or how you deal with conflict, for example. Your response, be it anger, sadness, or the ability to brush it off, to situations like these illustrate your emotional regulation skills. This is something that children must learn to do, often through having this behaviour modelled. However, pets can also help.

One way in which animals are able to do this is by listening. Pets provide us with conditional love and a listening ear (plus, they don’t interrupt)! They’re a safe space for children (and adults) to vent, where necessary. Additionally, pets can provide comfort for children, and this can be reciprocated, through children learning how to comfort their animals as well.

Positive Impact on Self-Esteem

Regardless of how much joy our furry or feathered friends bring us, it’s not always easy. But successfully looking after an animal and meeting their needs can bring a huge sense of accomplishment for adults and children alike. This in itself can really help with self-esteem, boosting the confidence in those who might be lacking otherwise.

Feelings of sadness can also come with low self-esteem. On those days that might be particularly difficult to get out of bed, having a pet forces you to do so. Whether they need walking or feeding, knowing that there is a reason beyond just yourself to get up can be beneficial in helping with low moods.

Help to Combat Loneliness

Loneliness can affect those of all ages, but it can be more of an issue that many struggle with as they become older. Having a pet can help with this challenging time though, and in fact, having a pet can have many advantages for elderly people. The companionship of a pet, no matter how big or small, means that you’re never truly alone.

* Having a dog can help your heart — literally - Harvard Health