Week of Wayne 5 – get a dog
Wayne and Hector
Today’s tribute to Wayne is to remember the love he had for Dogs, and animals (except my cat)
Wayne loved to give a dog a scratch and lay beside them.
This just showed his gentle heart.
We grew up with dogs and Wayne’s first dog was a German Shepherd cross with a Labrador, her name was Honey and she was referred to as the White wolf.
Wayne forever sat on her and played with her and she was the most loyal pet you could have.
Wayne performing tricks with Honey and Smokey the budgie
After Honey passed away of old age, we continued to get more dogs throughout our lives growing up.
Wayne wouldn’t necessarily walk them per say, but he would always have them around him.
I think they chilled out like he did…
Wayne with our little farm pups
Wayne didn’t not like my cat – Rojo, he just stirred her up a lot, because she was the type of cat to give him nothing, so therefore you would find Wayne often putting her over the fence into next doors yard with their dogs!! Yes he thought that was hilarious.
But the reason I am telling the stories of the dogs is because when it comes to your health, dogs are a great pet to have to help longevity – they have been known to add 10 years onto your life.
They keep you fit, by walking them each day, they are totally loyal to you and forever forgiving. You can have a bad day, and yell, but they will always be there for you and not worry that you just yelled at them 10 minutes ago – no grudges held.
Dogs that like people – and other dogs – mean that the owners will socialise with each other too, meeting and greeting other walkers.
The look the dog can give you – directly into your eyes, has been studied and this does release the oxytocin hormone (the loving hormone) – this then reduces the level of stress within your body.
A dog can bring the family together. I know it has in our family, once we got Tex we all made changes to our daily routine to walk him, play and feed him (some more than others).. But the message being is that we all have someone else to care and think about.
You become less selfish, and it can take you away from technology devices.
I must say with Wayne hanging out with all the dogs he did, and the chats he’d have with them, certainly showed the calmness it gave him.
Wayne and buddy
Unfortunately for Wayne, the dogs in his life couldn’t extend his life by ten years – but Wayne overdid the amount of processed foods, which contains plentiful amounts of vegetable oils and sugars that blocked many of his cells, along with the sleep concerns I mentioned in prior post and other toxins Wayne endured that had more of a hold over his health, than a dog could fix.
This was taken a few weeks before Wayne passed away with Koby, Hector and Buddy
However if you are mindful of your diet, and your sleep becomes more of a priority – then yes a dog would be a great health benefit to you and your family.
If you’re considering getting a pooch, check out these surprising benefits of having a dog:
1. You’ll exercise more.
Owning a dog can motivate you to exercise every day. On those days when it might be easy to skip a workout, looking at your dog standing by the door waiting to go for a walk can give you the push you need to get out there. Taking your dog for a 30 minute walk every day can greatly improve your health.
2. You’ll feel less stressed.
There have been lots of studies that have shown how dogs decrease stress levels. Petting your dog, playing with your dog, and simply watching your dog can reduce your stress each day. Research shows that dog ownership reduces stress hormones and the effects usually outweigh the stress caused by caring for a dog.
3. Your social life may improve.
Not only does walking your dog help you to get exercise, it might also help you get a date. People are more likely to stop and talk with you when you’re walking a dog. Going to the dog park or taking your dogs to run errands can also lead to strangers striking up conversations with you about your dog.
4. You may detect cancer sooner.
A dog’s amazing sense of smell can be used for a variety of purposes, including cancer detection. Many dog owners have reported their dog sniffing, licking, or nudging spots that later turned out to be cancerous. One of the unexpected benefits of having a dog is that it may even save your life by helping you to detect cancer.
5. Your kids will be less likely to have allergies.
Children who are raised around a dog are less likely to have allergies. In fact, living in a home with a dog can help kids grow up to have an increased immunity to pet allergies later in life.
6. Your heart will be healthier.
Studies have shown that petting a dog lowers a person’s heart rate. Therefore, dog owners are more likely to have a healthy heart. In fact, some research has shown that dog owners are much more likely to survive a heart attack compared to non-dog owners. Male pet owners in particular tend to experience a reduced rate of heart disease.
7. You’re less likely to feel depressed.
The benefits of dog ownership extend to your mental health as well. Dog owners are less likely to be depressed. Dog owners who have been diagnosed with clinical depression aren’t likely to be as depressed as other people. Caring for a dog helps relieve symptoms of depression and encourages people to be more positive.
8. You can grow old gracefully.
Dog ownership benefits elderly people in many ways. Alzheimer’s patients have fewer outbursts when there is a dog in the home. Caregivers of elderly patients report less stress. Dogs offer wonderful companionship for the elderly as well.
9. Your risk for general illness decreases.
Dog owners experience fewer health problems. Dog owners tend to have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels compared to non-dog owners. Dogs expose their owners to a lot of germs, which can help build up a human’s immunity to disease. As a result, dog owners get sick less often and less severely than non-dog owners.
10. You’ll feel safer.
Dogs can be an effective home security system. Studies show that barking dogs deter burglars. Just knowing that you’ve got a dog who can use its keen sense of hearing to detect anyone prowling around can help increase your sense of security, which is good for both your mental and physical health.
