GabySocializing doesn’t just help people — it’s key to keeping dogs healthy, too. A team of researchers from several leading U.S. scientific centers conducted a large-scale study and found that interaction helps domestic dogs maintain their health throughout their lives. The researchers recommend that dog owners let their pets “run with the pack” as often as possible. According to the study, the benefits of socialization were five times greater than other factors the team examined.
What the Researchers Found
This is the largest study of its kind. The team analyzed data from 21,410 dogs of various breeds to see what helps—and what harms—their health. Researchers gathered all the information from surveys of pet owners, covering a wide range of factors, and social interaction emerged as the strongest predictor of better health. After controlling for age and weight, interaction with other dogs and people was linked to better health and longer lifespans. Biologist Brian McCoy of Arizona State University said the result suggests that, for dogs and other social species including humans, having a broad network of social connections matters.
Economic and household factors also mattered: the researchers found that financial and household difficulties, including lower income, significantly affected pets’ health and mobility — though these effects were much smaller than the benefits of socialization. Homes with many children were linked to worse health outcomes for dogs, which the team suggests may reflect that larger families spend more time caring for kids than interacting with pets. The researchers also found that dogs in higher-income households were diagnosed with more illnesses. That likely reflects greater access to veterinary care among wealthier owners, which makes it easier to detect conditions early, the team told Science Alert.
Key Takeaways
The team cautioned that their analysis relies on owner-reported data, which can contain inaccuracies and biases. Still, the dataset is strong enough to highlight how a social lifestyle relates to dogs’ health and longevity. Dogs’ relatively short lifespans and the close care owners give them make these animals useful for studying how social and environmental factors affect aging. The researchers say their next step is to investigate the biological mechanisms that might link socialization to lifespan in dogs.
“In future studies we will use electronic veterinary medical records, molecular and immunological measurements, and physical tests in home settings to get more accurate indicators of health and vulnerability in companion dogs,” said Dr. Noah Snyder-Mackler of Arizona State University. The study was published in the journal Evolution, Medicine & Public Health.
