Speaking test
Mijs van Rens | Leerling Raayland College vwo5
, Article
Dogs have a magic effect’: how pets can improve our mental health
Canine companions trigger similar neural pathways to the parent-baby bond, and
reduce loneliness and depression. Now new pet therapy trials are reporting
dramatic effects.
What is it about animals? As the bad news about the coronavirus continues,
“send me dogs and cats” has become a regular cry on social media, an easy-to-
grasp shorthand for “I feel terrible, cheer me up”. The response is always the
same: a torrent of pictures of animals doing daft things – but somehow it has a
magical, calming effect.
The therapeutic value of our relationship with our pets, particularly dogs,
is increasingly recognised by researchers. Cats can be wonderful too – but dogs
have been domesticated by humans for much longer, and, as even the most
devoted cat lover will admit, dogs are far easier to train for companionship. Most
cats, as we know, are admirable for entirely different reasons. Marion Janner, a
mental health campaigner and all-round animal lover, says that dogs teach us a
whole range of lessons. “Dogs love us unconditionally. They’re the ultimate in
equal opportunities – entirely indifferent to race, gender, star sign, CV, clothes
size or ability to throw cool moves on the dance floor. The simplicity and depth of
this love is a continuous joy, along with the health benefits of daily walks and the
social delights of chats with other dog walkers. They teach kids to be responsible,
altruistic and compassionate and, valuably but sadly, how to cope when someone
you love dies.”
Robert Doward* felt this odd effect when his health suddenly took a downward
turn. “I’d been working incredibly hard, long hours, too many days. One day I
started crying and just couldn’t stop. I couldn’t put sentences together properly.
I’d been pushing everything so hard for so long, and I just couldn’t do it any
more.”
It took a long time to put himself back together: plus some therapy, another job
and changes to his family life. But the key factor, he says only half-jokingly, was a
small Greek rescue dog called Maria. “Taking her out for walks, getting out into
fresh air, just putting one foot in front of the other, that lifts your spirits. And then
there’s nothing like having a dog curled up beside you, even when you feel
absolutely miserable. She’ll check my face anxiously, as if she knows something
is wrong. And that makes me smile – and that somehow makes you feel better.
There is just something magic about dogs. Honestly, she got me through.”
But why? What is responsible for these therapeutic effects? One key aspect
appears to be social recognition – the process of identifying another being as
someone important and significant to you. The bond that forms between owner
and pet is, it seems, similar to the bond that a mother forms with her baby.
The importance of social recognition is increasingly acknowledged for the role it
plays in helping us form networks. We now understand that healthy social bonds
can play a key role in mental health; without them, we become lonely, depressed
and physically unwell. And pets, it seems, can fulfil that role. Academic and
psychologist June McNicholas points out that pets can be a lifeline for socially
isolated people.
Mijs van Rens | Leerling Raayland College vwo5
, Article
Dogs have a magic effect’: how pets can improve our mental health
Canine companions trigger similar neural pathways to the parent-baby bond, and
reduce loneliness and depression. Now new pet therapy trials are reporting
dramatic effects.
What is it about animals? As the bad news about the coronavirus continues,
“send me dogs and cats” has become a regular cry on social media, an easy-to-
grasp shorthand for “I feel terrible, cheer me up”. The response is always the
same: a torrent of pictures of animals doing daft things – but somehow it has a
magical, calming effect.
The therapeutic value of our relationship with our pets, particularly dogs,
is increasingly recognised by researchers. Cats can be wonderful too – but dogs
have been domesticated by humans for much longer, and, as even the most
devoted cat lover will admit, dogs are far easier to train for companionship. Most
cats, as we know, are admirable for entirely different reasons. Marion Janner, a
mental health campaigner and all-round animal lover, says that dogs teach us a
whole range of lessons. “Dogs love us unconditionally. They’re the ultimate in
equal opportunities – entirely indifferent to race, gender, star sign, CV, clothes
size or ability to throw cool moves on the dance floor. The simplicity and depth of
this love is a continuous joy, along with the health benefits of daily walks and the
social delights of chats with other dog walkers. They teach kids to be responsible,
altruistic and compassionate and, valuably but sadly, how to cope when someone
you love dies.”
Robert Doward* felt this odd effect when his health suddenly took a downward
turn. “I’d been working incredibly hard, long hours, too many days. One day I
started crying and just couldn’t stop. I couldn’t put sentences together properly.
I’d been pushing everything so hard for so long, and I just couldn’t do it any
more.”
It took a long time to put himself back together: plus some therapy, another job
and changes to his family life. But the key factor, he says only half-jokingly, was a
small Greek rescue dog called Maria. “Taking her out for walks, getting out into
fresh air, just putting one foot in front of the other, that lifts your spirits. And then
there’s nothing like having a dog curled up beside you, even when you feel
absolutely miserable. She’ll check my face anxiously, as if she knows something
is wrong. And that makes me smile – and that somehow makes you feel better.
There is just something magic about dogs. Honestly, she got me through.”
But why? What is responsible for these therapeutic effects? One key aspect
appears to be social recognition – the process of identifying another being as
someone important and significant to you. The bond that forms between owner
and pet is, it seems, similar to the bond that a mother forms with her baby.
The importance of social recognition is increasingly acknowledged for the role it
plays in helping us form networks. We now understand that healthy social bonds
can play a key role in mental health; without them, we become lonely, depressed
and physically unwell. And pets, it seems, can fulfil that role. Academic and
psychologist June McNicholas points out that pets can be a lifeline for socially
isolated people.
