Are dogs good for us?
We investigate whether our canine companions are good for our health and wellbeing. Could your pet dog really help you live longer?
Dogs have been our best animal buddy for thousands of years. They’ve helped us out in countless ways from hunting alongside us to guiding us as service dogs. Talk to any pet owner and they’ll tell you how much joy their dog brings them. But you’ll also probably hear about vets bills, muddy footprints, or chewed up slippers. There are plenty of claims about the ways in which dogs might benefit our physical and mental health -- but how strong is the evidence?
This week on CrowdScience, listeners Jason and Finn in Guernsey want to know if there’s any real evidence that our furry friends can benefit our health and wellbeing.
Join Anand Jagatia as he enlists the help of his own pup, Stella, to explore the evidence. He uncovers the profound effects that service dogs can have on the mental health of military veterans in the US. Anand ponders the strangely unique relationship between humans and dogs and we learn about the surprising ways that about growing up with a pet dog can impact your health.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Emily Bird
Editor: Richard Collings
Studio Engineer: Donald MacDonald
Production coordinator: Jonathan Harris, Elliott Prince
Contributors:
Dr Kerri Rodriguez
Professor Tove Fall
Professor Hal Herzog
(Photo: Jack Russell leaping into the air trying to catch a ball. Credit: Brighton Dog Photography/Getty Images)
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- Fri 11 Aug 2023 19:32GMTÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Afghan Radio
- Mon 14 Aug 2023 01:32GMTÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service except Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 14 Aug 2023 04:32GMTÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
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CrowdScience
Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe