Chewie of HerePup.com

Your dog may be able to keep your doctor away better than any apple. Okay, maybe not quite as well (and you still need to go to the doctor), but it’s pretty close. I’m not pulling your leg here; there are some pretty major physiological and psychological benefits you get just by being a dog parent.

For example, did you know that dog owners consistently report lower blood pressure than non-dog owners—especially in stressful situations (the even crazier part is that in some cases, dogs lower blood pressure more effectively than actual blood pressure medication!)?

Here’s another: did you know that dogs can be trained to detect certain forms of cancer just by sniffing your breath? One dog named Panda (a lab) correctly identified colorectal cancer in 33 out of 38 patients. She literally saved a few lives!

Or, how would you react if I told you that dog owners tend to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels even though they’re more likely to be drinkers and have more of a penchant for fast food?

Pretty cool, right?

And it’s not just speculation. There’s good, hard science to back it up. Below, you can see a run-down of some of the awesome ways your pup contributes to your health, and if you’d like to see some of the more detailed science, you can find it in the original article at HerePup.com.

Anyways, enjoy!

HerePup is a blog happily run by Perrin and his fiancé, Michelle. Their pup, Chewie, is the CEO and mascot of the site. Their mission is to cover anything that helps people become better dog owners, including tips, reviews, funny stories, and interviews. Most of all, they love meeting other dog people and hope you’ll stop by!