Happiness comes in many forms, but few things make us happy in ways man’s best friend does. There are many ways a dog makes us happy, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to be thankful for four unique and less obvious ways dogs make us happy.

1. Dogs help us save money. If we don’t have a dog at home we tend to go out more often.  This can mean dining out more, which leads to spending more money. In contrast, if we have a dog, our outings naturally decrease. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017 the average American spent $3,365 on dining out and $3,203 on entertainment.   While a dog costs money too, they don’t typically cost over $6,000 a year. So in a way, this means a dog brings us a greater return on our investment in them!
2. Our dogs channel our inner happiness. Coming home after a stressful day without a dog to greet us makes it harder to destress.  Rather, if we have a happy, full-on tail wagging dog at our feet we can’t help but lighten up as we begin to engage and play with them.  Dogs remind us to bring out our inner child and lighten up a little.  This helps us tap into our creativity too!  It seems creativity and channeling our inner child always equals happiness.
3. Dogs can teach us healthy lifestyle hacks.  By default, dogs keep us exercising because they need to be walked too  but I, like so many others, had a situation that forced me to get resourceful so to heal and add five happy years to my dog’s life! Not only did I find a life-saving dog food recipe for her, but I got one that improved my health and cured my allergies as well! Seems like eliminating an allergy ailment can’t help but spell H.A.P.P.Y!
4. Dogs help us BE in the moment. Have you ever walked your dog in a rush because your to-do list was haunting you and your dog decides he’s going to plop down and take a break in the shade? Furthermore, no matter what you do he’s not budging.  Then you notice how relaxed and happy he looks. Suddenly you realize it’s a beautiful day! Deep breathing ensues, making you notice the floral smells of spring in the air. Before you know it, you’re smiling and thanking your buddy for making you stop and smell the roses.

These are just four ambiguous ways a dog can bring us happiness and in which we can be thankful for, but every dog owner knows there are many more!  Show your dog how thankful you are for him or her by calling 513-860-DOGS (3647) or  enrolling  them in Dog Day, Every Day!, where they can run freely and play in a happy and safe environment or be treated to a paws-itive  spa  day!