Do dogs really keep people away from depression?
During the lockdown caused by the Corona pandemic, Kul Prasad Baral bought a golden retriever puppy and brought it to his home. He was not fond of dogs and had no affection for them. However, he says that after the school was closed, he brought a puppy to his granddaughter, who was locked inside the room, as a 'friend'.
"When she was alone, she didn't have a friend to play with, she started hanging around on her mobile around the clock," said Baral, who has a permanent home in Jhapa, "that's why we brought a puppy to play with."
Niroj Dangal, an animal technician at Pet House in Radheradhe, Bhaktapur, says that during the lockdown, the sale of puppies increased rapidly.
In the past, some people used to keep dogs in Lahalhaima or Dukhasekhi. At that time, people did not know what breed of dog to choose, for what purpose to keep it, how to keep it. However, he says that now the number of dog breeders is increasing due to their needs.
"Now a lot of people seem to take dogs home to get rid of loneliness," says Dangal.
A study by the National Alliance of Mental Illness says, 'The presence of a dog keeps people free from depression. Playing with dogs does not make you feel lonely. It helps to keep away from anxiety, stress, depression. At the same time, it keeps the dog physically active as it has to be played and rocked.
Psychologist Dr. We asked this question to Basudev Karki. Can dogs help people to be stress free?
In response, he said, 'A person's loneliness is also a factor behind depression or anxiety. An empty mind is like the devil's house, when you live alone, many things play in your mind. Loneliness can also make people depressed. When a dog or a pet is with you, you don't feel alone. Due to this, one gets rid of depression, stress, anxiety etc.'
According to him, depression is generally divided into 3 stages, normal, moderate and complex. If you have mild or moderate depression, pets like dogs can act as therapy. Because in these two stages, rather than medicine, the patient is kept busy with what he likes. This is called behavioral therapy. Petting a dog is also part of behavioral therapy. It is used to keep people away from happiness and loneliness.
"However, there has been no study in Nepal so far that dogs reduce the risk of depression or prevent depression," psychologist Dr. Karki says, "That's why you can't tell about the relationship between dogs and depression."
A dog can understand the owner's mood
According to a report by the Patient Empowerment Network, dogs can sense their owner's mood. One can guess how happy or sad the owner is by looking at the owner's face or expression. Dogs behave accordingly with their owners.
Like, when the owner has come home happily from somewhere, the dog jumps up and comes to play. If the owner looks sad or worried, the dog slowly approaches and sits with the owner, humming.
The common thread of some studies is that dogs can help reduce everything from depression to anxiety and aggression and other mental health problems.
How does a dog keep away from depression?
Veterinary Dr. According to Pranav Joshi, a dog is an animal that likes and wants to mingle easily with people. Dogs always want to be close to people. Prefers to play with people. Being a sociable animal, dogs do not let people feel lonely.
Also, dogs play a helpful role in keeping people alert, active and mentally busy. There are four reasons why dogs keep people away from depression. Joshi points.
First: After getting a dog, it needs to be fed, groomed, and walked around. Because of the dog, some people go out to the park, go out for a walk outside the house. It keeps people active as they have to walk the dog or play outdoors.
Second: The dog does not let you feel lonely. When we are alone at home, the dog keeps drawing our attention in one way or another. Sometimes it calls to play, sometimes it starts looking for food. Sometimes it barks and jumps. This is how dogs keep people busy.
Third: Dogs help to socialize with other strangers. If there is a neighbor or someone else who keeps a dog, they are well known.
Fourth: Often the average lifespan of pets like dogs and cats is 10 to 15 years. At some point, you have to part with the dog you love. It also teaches people to bear the pain of separation and accept death.
According to the report of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, dogs never make their owners feel sad or lonely. They live together and love so that there is no chance of stress or anxiety in the mind. Also, the dog gives a sense of security and closeness that "I am with you even if no one is around".
According to the American Heart Association, there are 5 ways that pets can help with stress and mental health, including reducing work stress, stimulating creativity, keeping you physically and mentally fit, refreshing, and helping to keep you away from loneliness.
Why do dog bites increase in summer?
In summer, dogs become more aggressive and there is also an increase in dog bites to people? In fact, it is not a coincidence. Recently, American scientists have discovered its underlying cause.
A study conducted by Harvard Medical School on more than 70,000 dog bite cases brought out a strange fact. What is seen from this study is that dogs are becoming more violent over time and this trend is sure to increase.
During the study, it has been observed that the rate of dog attacks on people increases on days when there is more heat and dust. According to researchers, when pollution is high, dog attacks increase by 11 percent compared to other days.
According to scientists, climate change and global warming are increasing due to human causes and its effect is also affecting the mood of dogs.
This research has been published on June 15 in Scientific Reports of the journal Nature. The study was conducted for 10 years in 8 major US cities. What it clearly shows is that the winter season is very hot and the days when the amount of dust and smoke increases, the aggressiveness of the dog also seems to increase.
According to research, dog bites increase by 11 percent when exposure to UV rays increases. In summer, it increases by another 4 percent, while the fear of dog bites increases by another 3 percent on days with increased ozone levels.
Similarly, it has been observed that dog bites increase by 1 percent even when there is heavy rain.
Effects of heat on humans too
What some studies have shown is that there is a direct relationship between crime incidents and high temperatures, i.e. hot weather.
Amsterdam-based Vrij University conducted a study on the subject, the results of which were published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences. It analyzed the relationship between climate, human aggression and self-control.
According to researchers, the climate in which people live plays a role in controlling or provoking their anger. People become more aggressive and crime rates increase in hot weather, which decreases in cooler areas.
Recent studies have shown that this trend in humans also applies to dogs.
4 things to keep in mind when taking your dog outside for a walk
Not everyone keeps a dog at home only in Dekhasiki or Lahad. Some people keep it for the security of the house, while others keep the dog with them to make the family atmosphere fun. To avoid loneliness, the tribe of dog breeders is growing.
After keeping a dog at home, it is not only necessary to feed him properly, but also to give him time. Many breeds of dogs are very energetic and need to be taken outside regularly. The problem is that we do not have a separate park for dogs.
Chowk, street, roadside or any open place should be used. In such a situation, there is a situation where local people and neighbors have to abuse. Because they defecate and urinate on random dogs, bark and bark at cats, and eat whatever they find on the road.
Therefore, before taking your pet dog outside for a walk, you should take care of a few things.
1. Carry a fold picker
When taking the dog outside, care should be taken about how to manage and dispose of the feces. When going outside, you should make it a habit to defecate and urinate in a certain place. Also, you should carry a potty picker (faeces picker) with you. In this way, the faeces should be kept in polythene and disposed of properly.
2. Lead with a rope
Pet dogs can run wild when they are let out. While running in this way, it can attack people and fight with other dogs. So if possible wear a rope (harness and leash) and walk with you.
3. Learn to walk with yourself
A dog is taught the same behavior at a young age. You can get into the habit of walking with yourself while swinging outside. Especially it is best to make a habit of walking on a rope. While walking in this way, the dog may pull the rope and try to run around. But if they are taught to walk with you from a young age, they will not pull the rope, they will walk straight.
4. Get vaccinated
Dogs may bite others for some reason while walking outside. Or can fight with street dogs. At such times, there is a fear of spreading and spreading an infection like rabies. Therefore, certain vaccinations should be given to the dog at an early age. It should be taken out of the house only after giving such a vaccine.
Do you have to take all the dogs outside for a walk?
Generally there are two types of dogs, big and small. There are large breeds like Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Dalmation. They must be taken outside the house for half to an hour a day. Such dogs should be allowed to run, play and exercise outside the house or in the open.
It is not enough to keep such dogs indoors and exercise them. Because they need exercise according to their body structure, they have to play in open spaces.
However, small breed dogs such as Shiba Inu, Beagle, Pug, Dudal, Golden Retriever, Spania, Japanese Spitz are only allowed to play indoors and let them run around the floor. It is not necessary to bring them outside.
Similarly, if the dog is sick, diseased or has a lack of glucose in the body, it should be taken for a walk only with the advice of a veterinarian. Only healthy dogs are allowed to walk outside.
What kind of place to take?
In foreign countries, there is a separate pet park, but in Nepal there is no provision for it. Therefore, to walk the dog, you should choose a large open square, a garden or a place that does not disturb others.
If you take it for a walk in a crowded or crowded place, there is a possibility that the dog will be angry with the person, and the person will be angry with the dog. That's why it is considered suitable for them to be petted in a quiet place with less human traffic, less community dog pressure, and less children. It is also effective to take your dog to a place where there is no stress.
