It is believed that the dog is a family together. According to Finnish researchers, a pet can balance the atmosphere of the house.
Barking a friend of the family, according to research, increases the feeling of happiness. So says a researcher stress-free and comfortable condition of the person Heimo Langinvainio (Heimo Langinvainio) dealing with the issue of the influence of the presence of dogs on the human condition.
“The longer a person has a dog, the happier it is”
Doctor of medical Sciences Heimo Langinvainio conducted a study of how the dog affects the human condition for the Kennel club of Finland (Suomen Kennelliitto).
Dog owners participating in the survey, were in some degree happier survey participants that do not have dogs.
Based on this, the children of the family of Locke, Valtteri (16) of the Fan (16), EMI (14 years), must be happier than their peers who do not have dogs. The family dog Tessa 19 years he’s been in the family even before the children. Fans of Locke can not say whether it was happier, thanks Tessa.
“I didn’t notice that, because Tessa has always been in our lives. No changes have occurred”.
“If the day was not very good, with Tessa becomes more fun,” says AMI Locke.
Recently, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that a pet brings to the child’s life even more joy than brothers and sisters.
However, the mere presence of a dog in the family does not add to joy. The decisive factor is the relationship of the dog and man.
“It seems that some are always ready to make friends with the dog,” says Langinvainio.
Biology confirms the likelihood of such a friendship. According to a Japanese study, from eye contact dog and man both begins to produce oxytocin, or the hormone of good mood. Oxytocin is produced in cases when the person is petting the dog.
The unifying factor for the family
According to a survey conducted the first Langinvainio, 25% of women owning a dog, and 19.5% of men are of the opinion that the dog is very much a family together. In the online survey involved nine thousand people, most of which is Kennel club of Finland (Suomen Kennelliitto).
According to estimates, Langinvainio, the dog creates in the family a positive atmosphere and causes positive emotions. According to him, the dog can balance the atmosphere in the house and affect the emotional state.
“The dog can associate some positive action, for example, embraces or game, and this creates an atmosphere of family.”
For children the dog may be a friend, strengthening a sense of security with which to wait for the parents return home. Valtteri, Locke says that before Tessa was great to play. Although with age the dog was slower, Valtteri still considered a cross between the Golden Retriever with the Lapland dog good friend.
“You can talk to him if bored.”
Four-legged friend that we need to take care of
Joint life teaches us how to treat animals. Valtteri, noted that thanks to Tessa he is not afraid of other dogs. He remembers the lesson in the Junior classes, when a class on orienteering came a stranger to the dog.
“Some of my classmates did not know how to behave because I was afraid of dogs.”
The dog the child may to understand many things about life. Langinvainio, says that dogs, like any other living creature, there are different stages of life.
“The dog may also become sad or sick, a dog can be a mental crises. The dog may be scared or be temporarily under such conditions that cause certain reaction.”
When a child grows up with the dog, he sees the pet begins to age and his life comes to a close.
“Then you need to learn to treat the dog with respect and to take into account all those things that appear with growing up,” says Langinvainio.
The death of a pet, who is considered a family member — of course, grief can teach us, says Langinvainio.
“We learn life, including through the death and sad periods.”
Tessa has already lived much more than dogs live on average. And it is unlikely the dog will live longer.
“It’s very sad, but Tessa already so old and have seen so much in my life that understands this,” — says Fans of Locke.
