How Pets Relieve Stress

Posted on February 8, 2008 by Aimee Amodio

I had a discouraging morning at work today. By the time I got home, I was sad and cranky and in a generally bad mood. And then I opened the door. My German shepherd mix, Moose, came waddling up and jammed his nose into my hand. My boxer mix, Lally, came bounding up with her squeaky ball in her mouth and her tail wagging. And I just had to smile. Pets have an amazing ability to relieve stress. It’s hard to keep feeling bad when you have a barking, licking, wiggling, warm fuzzy bundle of joy around. It’s hard to … Continue reading →

Pet Therapy: Sympathetic Pups

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Aimee Amodio

Having a pet can help reduce stress and ease feelings of loneliness. A recent study reports that they can also help ease nervousness! UCLA studied seventy-six patients who had experienced heart failure. Some visited with a friendly canine; some visited with a friendly stranger. The folks who had a visit from a four-legged friend saw a huge drop in anxiety levels — anxiety scores went down twenty-four percent! The people who had dog visits also saw a seventeen percent drop in levels of epinephrine, a stress hormone. The folks with the two-legged visitors did see some easing of nervousness and … Continue reading →