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6 ways having a dog can make life more awesome

Get a dog, they said. It will be great, they said. "They" were absolutely right.

Dogs are the best. Besides the obvious things, like cuddling and cleaning up your crumbs on the floor before you have to, there are some real tangible benefits to opening your arms to a canine — benefits you may be surprised to learn.

1. Homes that remain burglar-free are more likely to be homes that also have dogs.

From a report from the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice: "On average, burglarized houses are less likely to have dogs than are non-burglarized houses, suggesting that dog ownership is a substantial deterrent."


The report notes that small dogs can be noisy little attention-getters, and big dogs can make a would-be robber physically intimidated.


This dog is practically daring you to try messing with their human. Image by Robert Judge/Flickr.

2. Dogs can regulate our moods by stimulating our brain chemicals!

"People take drugs like heroin and cocaine to raise serotonin and dopamine, but the healthy way to do it is to pet your dog, or hug your spouse, watch sunsets, or get around something beautiful in nature," according to psychology professor Blair Justice.

When you're sad about a breakup, your dog will still be there to snuggle you and let you call them embarrassing terms of endearment. Image via Jan Vašek/Pexels.

3. Dogs can keep us more active and help us manage our health.

"The Health Benefits of Dog Walking for Pets and People" by Rebecca Johnson notes, "People who are the least active have the highest risk for a number of negative health outcomes, and evidence suggests that as little as one hour per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can reduce risk of all-cause mortality and coronary artery disease."

So just having a little pal itching to go for a walk, helping to motivate us to get off the couch, can put us on a path to a longer life.


"Aren't you glad we stopped watching 'Project Runway' for a while and took this stroll, Mom?" Image via Karen Arnold/Wikimedia Commons.

4. They can help children with autism be more successful.

Autistic children with a pet in the house may develop better social skills, like assertion. And the benefits don't stop with the children; research shows that families with autistic children benefit from the companionship of a dog, relieving stressors that occur with the caregiver responsibilities.

GIF from University of Missouri News Bureau.

5. Service dogs aren't only for the blind. They can help with other disabilities, too.

“Moray is able to do a multitude of tasks that many people take for granted," says Lorraine Harrison, a rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, tells the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. "He draws the bedroom curtains, fills/empties the washing machine and he is especially good at changing the bedding as I don't have the strength to do this on my own. On one occasion, I fell in the kitchen, and Moray did exactly as he was trained and went to fetch the telephone for me to call for help."

A service dog keeps a child company in the hospital. Image by Zipster969/Wikimedia Commons.

6. And dogs can give you a plethora of opportunities to harness your creative side.

Whether they're acting as muse for painting, writing, music, or for dusting off your photography chops, dogs can often be found doing something that will make life feel very rich indeed.

How could you not tiptoe in and get a picture of this? Image by wsilver/Flickr.

“Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift." — Mary Oliver, "Dog Songs"

So dog lovers rejoice — what you've known all along has been validated. Dogs are a very smart choice in life companions!

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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Bruce Willis recently celebrated his 68th birthday.

Back in March 2022, legendary action actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia and took an official step away from the spotlight. Then, in February 2023, the beloved "Die Hard" star progressed into frontotemporal dementia, an incurable brain disorder often mistaken for Alzheimer’s that mainly affects personality, behavior and language, according to the Mayo Clinic.


Despite the tragic news, Willis is supported by loved ones, as seen in a video posted by ex-wife Demi Moore. The clip, posted to Twitter on March 19, captures Willis' family surrounding him in celebration of his 68th birthday.
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Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

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A Korean mother and her son

A recently posted story on Reddit shows a mother confidently standing up for her family after being bullied by a teacher for her culture. Reddit user Flowergardens0 posted the story to the AITA forum, where people ask whether they are wrong in a specific situation.

Over 5,600 people commented on the story, and an overwhelming majority thought the mother was right. Here’s what went down:

“I (34F) have a (5M) son who attends preschool. A few hours after I picked him up from school today, I got a phone call from his teacher,” Flowergardens0 wrote. “She made absolutely no effort to sound kind when she, in an extremely rude and annoyed tone, told me to stop packing my son such ‘disgusting and inappropriate’ lunches."

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Pop Culture

Kelly Clarkson correctly pronouncing a guest's name on her show seems simple but it speaks volumes

Viewers appreciated how respectfully Clarkson handled her interview with K-pop group TWICE when she asked performer Tzuyu how to properly pronounce her name.

The Kelly Clarkson Show/Youtube

It really is as simply as that.

What’s in a name?

A lot, actually. We know that names reflect certain aspects of one’s identity. We know that repeated mispronunciation of a person’s name potentially undermines that identity. We know that sometimes this is unintentional, and other times, more insidious intentions of “othering” are at play. Especially when it comes to those with non-English names.

We also know that, on the flip side, making the effort to properly pronounce a person’s name is one of the simplest forms of kindness and respect that someone can offer. And it really pays dividends.

Just take a page from Kelly Clarkson’s book.
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Pop Culture

Woman shares 5 questions to ask potential employers and people are taking notes

"Being in both senior leadership and directly involved in candidate recruitment, these questions are fire. 10/10 recommend."

TikTok creator gives people 5 questions to ask potential employers.

You know the end of the interview where they ask, "Do you have any questions for us?" It's a dreaded question for a lot of people. Even though you know it's coming, the question still catches you off guard and you wind up asking something possibly irrelevant or nothing at all. Then the whole ride home, approximately fifteen questions pop into your head.

But don't you fret, because TikTok creator Kyyah Abdul has a list of five questions to keep tucked in your brain's pocket to close out an interview. And folks in the comments are applauding the creator's ability to figure out if the company is a fit for you and clarify any concerns the interviewer may have. Her advice was so genius that even a person who is involved in candidate recruitment chimed in saying, "Being in both senior leadership and directly involved in candidate recruitment, these questions are fire. 10/10 recommend."

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