Examining the Power of the Human Animal Bond

Marty and Laura examine the powerful human animal bond and how we can help our pets be healthier while they help us be healthier.

The power of this ancient connection is documented at the Human Animal Bond Research Institute.

"The value that pets bring to our lives," Laura said, "is they impact whether we go out and exercise with them because we need them to lose weight. Whether it is the companionship, whether it is the social activity where we actually go into the public with our pet, where we might otherwise be cave dwelling hermits like myself."

"It is enormous how much of a difference (pets) make in your interactions with other people," Marty said. "I raised dogs for Canine Companions for Independence. If I had to run into Target with a dog, it would take me 45 minutes to an hour to get back out the door because everyone would stop us and want to talk to us and ask about the program. And I actually had one dog that was placed in a family with a young man who had a disability because they met us at Target.

"So it's truly incredible what these dogs do for you socially. They are social lubricant. Dogs open pathways to conversation that ordinarily you would just walk past the other person. You would kind of ignore them, you'd look the other way, you wouldn't really interact with them. But now you have a dog and they come up to you and they say, oh, what kind of dog is this?"

"Social life is a big part of it, exercise is a big part of it, mental stimulation," Laura said. "I am someone who deals with autoimmune disease. There are days that if I did not have a puppy lying next to my head, I would not get out of bed. I just wouldn't. And that puppy wakes up at 5:00 AM. I crawl out of bed no matter how crunchy I am and I get her outside.

"And so this is a thing across the board for people with large and small health issues. A pet keeps them moving. Sometimes it's the only thing you wanna talk to. You don't want to talk to anybody on the phone. You don't want to talk to anybody at the store. You just want to talk to your dog."

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.