Why We Have a Dog

In a community where people are more likely to have 10 kids than get a dog, we attract a lot of curiosity when wandering town with our recent four-legged addition.

That’s not to say that no one here has a dog. Our block alone has three homes with man’s best friends, but still, we’re somewhat of an anomaly. We love him, and we’re pretty confident he’s earning his keep.

So here goes – 5 reasons why we added Dylan to our family circus:

1. My new running partner is always available. There’s nothing like a long run with one of my best friends (the human kind), but lately our runs together have been rare. With work and baby schedules, it’s hard to get together. Dylan, on the other hand, sits patiently at the door the minute he spies me in my running gear. He sprints, runs hills and has yet to tire before me.

2. He’s my sons’ best friend.

3. He’s good for the gut. I’m due for a whole blog post on the human gut and what it means for our health, but for now, suffice it to say that this generation is too clean for our own good. A dog brings all sorts of bacteria into the home that most likely acts as a probiotic for the stomach. An important study at University of Arizona is researching the topic right now. Sounds crazy? Check out this article from Sunday’s New York Times: “The theory that there might be such a thing as ‘too clean’ food stems from the hygiene hypothesis, which has been gaining traction over the last decade. It holds that our modern germaphobic ways may be making us sick by harming our microbiome, which comprises all the microscopic beasties — bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites, etc. — that live in and on our bodies.”

4. He cleans the house. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t recycle because they don’t want to clean out messy containers. In our house? No problem. Plus, there is not a speck of food on our floor.

5. He keeps us moving. There’s always an excuse to take a walk. In the evenings on a nice night, when all the kids are screaming about homework or fighting…Oh! I have to take the dog out for a walk! And walking the dog with my husband? The perfect, new mini date.