5. Dogs can help you during seizures
A seizure dog is like a seeing-eye dog who helps an owner navigate day-to-day activities, and keep them away from harmful situations.
“There are many organizations in the United States that train seizure dogs. In most cases, these dogs are trained to recognize subtle behavior or body language changes during seizure events,” Tse says.
But some believe that the dogs can perceive an oncoming attack even without training. They warn their owners who are able to take seizure-blocking medication and get to a safe place or call for assistance.
“However, there are very few scientific studies supporting the idea that dogs can detect epileptic seizures ahead of time,” Tse says.
But Tse says at the very least, most researchers agree that a dog can provide the important support and companionship needed by patients with epilepsy.
6. Dogs can keep you away from food that you are allergic to
While some dogs can sniff out illegal drugs and bombs, there appear to be other dogs who can detect allergens.
“For people whose peanut allergies are so severe that even miniscule residues in the air can trigger an allergic reaction, a peanut detection dog can come in handy, according to training facilities such as the Florida Canine Academy. These dogs, after going through vigorous training, can detect the trace presence of peanuts in a room, such as a cookie left on the table or a candy bar hidden in a lunch bag,“Tse says.
But Tse add, ”Owners with peanut allergies still have to be vigilant about peanut contaminations in food, and should always carry an epinephrine pen in case of emergencies. However, peanut-detecting dogs can help ease their minds.”
7. Dogs can help you rehabilitate from illnesses
This is the reason behind pet visitation programs in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.
Therapy dogs can help encourage mobility, interpersonal contact and socialization among patients.
“According to a 2005 review in the British Medical Journal, dogs act as ‘social catalysts,’ leading to greater interaction between people and alleviating feelings of loneliness, especially among elderly patients with physical disabilities,” Tse says.
Dog owners can also handle stressful events better, and can thus avoid anxiety-related illnesses, the study showed, Tse says.
While some studies have suggested that dog owners are “significantly less likely to die within one year of a heart attack than those who did not own dogs, those studies were based on a small sample and weren't population-based, “ Tse says.