30 Reasons Why Dogs Are Actually Better Than Cats

1. Loyalty and companionship

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Dogs are as loyal as they come.  In fact, they are known for their unwavering loyalty and their amazing ability to form strong and meaningful bonds with their owners.  They provide genuine companionship and seem to adore spending time with their humans, making you feel needed and loved.

2. Trainability

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Dogs are great because as well as their companionship and unwavering loyalty to you, they can also be trained to follow certain commands and perform various tasks.  And their trainability can really help you out at home as they obey commands and can integrate into your lifestyle.  This also means they make great service animals.

3. Active lifestyle

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If you have a dog, you'll know that they need to be walked outdoors a few times a day.  This makes them the perfect exercise buddy and can really encourage regular exercise and motivate you to get outside and engage in physical activity.  This has been found to contribute to a healthier lifestyle and enhanced wellbeing.

4. Social interaction

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Dogs usually enjoy being part of a pack and sometimes, they can thrive in social situations.  And even if you don't particularly feel comfortable engaging with others socially, they provide you with ample opportunities and a good excuse to practice socializing with others.

5. Affection

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All dogs are different and have their own individual personalities.  But generally, dogs have often been seen as more overtly affectionate toward their owners.  Which can make you feel absolutely wonderful, knowing that this gorgeous creature has so much love for you.

6. Assistance animals

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And because of their trainability, dogs can often be trained to provide assistance to humans with disabilities.  These include guide dogs for the visually impaired or even hearing dogs for the hearing impaired.  Amazingly, they are trained for a very young age so they are able to fulfil their destiny of providing support and love to their owner.

7. Emotional support

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As well as assistance dogs, some dogs are trained as emotional support dogs.  Dogs are known for their natural ability to provide emotional support and this can be particularly helpful for individuals who might be dealing with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression or other challenges.

8. Eager to please

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There's absolutely no denying that dogs are eager to please.  They seem to more often than not have this strong desire to please their owners, whether that's during training or later on.  And it is very clear that they are motivated and absolutely love positive reinforcement from their owners.

9. Play

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Cats will play with a laser pointer or a jingly object with catnip inside if they feel like it

but dogs are way more likely to engage in play with their owners and they seem to absolutely love it.  They are more likely to engage in active play and seem to enjoy the interaction playing brings with their owners.

10. Ability to detect certain medical conditions

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Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and as well as sniffing to find things, they are often also able to detect certain medical conditions before the human is even diagnosed.  They tend to sense changes in a person's body odor or behavior and can alert to medical conditions like low blood sugar or seizures.

11. Guarding property

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If you have a dog, you might also be feeling pretty secure in your home due to their ability to bark at every single noise.  And perhaps their bark will likely scare off any potential thieves to your home.  But if you have a cat, you can probably predict that they'll roll around waiting to be stroked by the burglars!

12. Protection

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You might even feel secure with your dog, knowing that it will protect you when you're out and about.  They can really provide their owners with a sense of security and safety due to their protective instincts and ability to alert their owners to potential dangers that may lie ahead.

13. Ability to herd livestock

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Certain breeds of dogs are great at herding livestock so can be awesome companions and hard workers on a farm.  These types of dogs include the Old English Sheepdog and even the Australian Cattle Dog as well as many ore and they can assist with managing and controlling the livestock.

14. Working dogs

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Dogs are incredibly versatile in the roles that they can fulfill in a workplace and they can be an extremely valuable addition to any team.  They can be police dogs, search and rescue dogs and even therapy dogs, as well as being wonderful members of the family.

15. Service dogs

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Certain dogs have the potential to be trained as service animals with further duties and responsibilities, including individuals with further physical disabilities, psychiatric conditions, as well as other specific needs.  A dog can be a loyal and reliable assistant, as well as a hard worker.

16. Ability to understand human cues

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Dogs are generally great at communicating with humans and they're known for being great with their ability to understand certain human cues.  And these human cues might be verbal or nonverbal.  This makes training them and maintaining their training much more effective and help with the bond.

17. Bonding with children

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If there are children in your immediate or nonimmediate family, you might find that your dog either loves them or is a little more wary of them.  Some dogs are able to form strong bonds with children and can be the perfect playmate as well as teach them about responsibility, nurturing and empathy.

18. Sense of responsibility

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Dogs can be amazing companions for anyone, young or old, and as well as being loyal friends, they can also give a person a strong sense of purpose.  This means that owning a dog can give a person that sense of responsibility and belonging that they may or may not have been craving.

19. Lower risk of allergies

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If you are aware that your child has an allergy to dogs, it's not all bad news because some studies have suggested that being exposed to dogs during early childhood may reduce the risk of the child developing certain allergies and asthma later on in life.  But do be sure to seek medical advice before trying anything.

20. Devotion

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When you get a dog, that dog is for life.  This is because they are known for their loyalty and absolute dedication to their owners.  They provide unconditional love and are devoted to their owners with all of their hearts.  They are eager to please and ready to protect you.

21. Improved well-being

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It's true that being around a dog has the potential to improve your wellbeing tenfold.  This might be your emotional wellbeing where they boost your mood and lower your anxiety or it could be your physical wellbeing where they motivate you to partake in an active lifestyle and enjoy the great outdoors.

22. Empathy

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Dogs can teach us a LOT about empathy and can particularly give children that sense of responsibility, empathy, and compassion that is needed in the world.  It can teach any of us the importance and the benefits of meeting the needs of another living thing, not just ourselves.

23. Security

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No matter how soft and cuddly your dog is, and how they would never even hurt a fly, dogs can still act as an effective deterrent to intruders in your home, particularly with their loud barks.  This might provide owners with a sense of security and safety.

24. Non-judgemental listeners

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Sometimes, just for your mood and wellbeing, you might need to get something off your chest.  But sometimes, we hold things in for fear of being judged by another being.  However, you can open up to your dog and they'll listen without any judgment.  Cats on the other hand...

25. Assistance with daily tasks

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Certain breeds of dogs can be trained to provide assistance to individuals who might have disabilities or additional needs.  They might help with day-to-day tasks such as retrieving items, opening doors, and essentially improving a person's quality of life.

26. Sense human emotions

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Dogs have an amazing ability to sense your emotions.  They're just so in tune with you and how you are feeling that they can sense when you're sad, anxious, or stressed.  And the best thing is, they'll often provide the right amount of comfort and the emotional support you might need when you're going through a tough time.

27. Early warning systems

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Dogs can be amazing and efficient at keeping you safe because they often act as early warning systems.  This means that they'll alert you to danger even before you've spotted it.  This might make you feel safer and more secure knowing that someone's always got your back.

28. Enhance creativity

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Dogs have their own wonderful ways of inspiring their owners, whether it's through their curious nature or the way they navigate the world with enthusiasm and love.  This can really give you a fresh perspective on life and inspire you to appreciate what is really important.

29. A sense of family

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Having a dog as a companion can really foster a sense of family.  They're not just a pet but an integral art of a family unit that has the power to bring members of the family closer together and even create shared and precious memories through adventures and daily interactions.

30. Unconditional love

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But perhaps the best thing about dogs is their unwavering ability to provide you with unconditional love.  They are probably the only beings on earth that will just accept you for who you are, and how you are at various ups and downs.  And they will provide you with the support you need.  There's a reason why they're out best friends, and this is it.