If you already wanted a dog, count the daily walks as part of your walking, and don't get a dog just to live longer

Cost

A dog is a continuing cost: dog food, vaccines, deworming, vet visits and registration all come out of your pocket, and you look after it until it dies of old age. You have to set aside time every day to walk it, and find someone to look after it when you travel. The hard part is keeping it up every day; once you have a dog you can't stop when you feel like it. There is no official statistic in China on what it costs to keep a dog, so no figure is given here.

What you get

Pooling 10 follow-up studies with about 3,840,000 (384万) people, followed for an average of 10.1 years, people who owned a dog had about 24% lower risk of death (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67–0.86, the plausible range). Cardiovascular death was about 31% lower (RR 0.69, 0.67–0.71). Among people who had had coronary heart disease, those with a dog at home were about 65% lower (RR 0.35, 0.17–0.69). The authors state that this pooled analysis did not remove other factors. A Swedish national registry study of about 3,430,000 (343万) people removed factors such as income and marital status. People who lived alone and had a dog had about 33% lower risk of death (HR 0.67, 0.65–0.69). Those who lived with others were about 11% lower (HR 0.89, 0.87–0.91). Among Swedish patients after a heart attack, those who lived alone and had a dog had about 33% lower risk of death (HR 0.67, 0.61–0.75), and those living with a partner or children were about 15% lower (HR 0.85, 0.80–0.90). After an ischemic stroke the figures were about 27% lower (HR 0.73, 0.66–0.80) and 12% lower (HR 0.88, 0.83–0.93) respectively. On the other side: in 6 UK health surveys with 59352 people followed for an average of 11.5 years, after full adjustment dog ownership showed no association with death (HR 1.03, 0.98–1.09), nor with cardiovascular death (HR 1.07, 0.96–1.18). A Norwegian study followed for a median of 18.5 years and found almost the same risk of death for dog owners (HR 1.00, 0.91–1.09). Dog owners there were also no more active than others. In the Swedish twin registry, among 34202 people whose lifestyle habits could be asked about, the link between dog ownership and lower cardiovascular disease and death risk could not be repeated. An Australian study of 15735 people followed for 4 years found dog owners had about 23% lower risk of death (OR 0.77, 0.59–0.99), part of which could be explained by more activity. Owning a cat, bird or fish showed no link to death. The American Heart Association's 2013 statement said that pet ownership, especially dog ownership, “may be reasonable” for lowering cardiovascular risk, which is the weakest tier of recommendation. The same statement explicitly advised against adopting, rescuing or buying a pet mainly to lower cardiovascular risk.

Notes

Disputed. All of the above is follow-up records, with no comparison between assigned groups, so you cannot conclude “get a dog to live longer.” People who take on a dog may be healthier and more active to begin with, while people who are ill or disabled may be less likely to keep a dog, and these differences can't be removed completely. The 24% in the pooled analysis removed no factors, and in the studies that could ask about lifestyle, the difference disappeared. In another Swedish study, dog owners actually started blood pressure and cholesterol drugs slightly more often, so even if the risk of death is truly lower, it isn't because blood pressure and cholesterol came down. The one thing you can act on: if you already have a dog or already wanted one, count the daily walk toward your walking; for whether it is enough, see §2.11 (walk 7000–8000 steps a day). For leashes, vaccines and liability when a dog hurts someone, see §8.30 (a dog must be leashed). For how older family members should hold the leash to avoid falls when walking a dog, see §17.10 (older people walking a dog). The size of the benefit is mechanically rated large based on the pooled 24%, but that figure does not remove confounding. The person who benefits from this item is mainly you.

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. Kramer CK, Mehmood S, Suen RS (2019). Dog ownership and survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 12(10), e005554. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554
2. Mubanga M, Byberg L, Nowak C, 等 (2017). Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death – a nationwide cohort study. Scientific Reports, 7, 15821. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6
3. Mubanga M, Byberg L, Egenvall A, Ingelsson E, Fall T (2019). Dog ownership and survival after a major cardiovascular event: a register-based prospective study. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 12(10), e005342. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005342
4. Ding D, Bauman AE, Sherrington C, 等 (2018). Dog ownership and mortality in England: a pooled analysis of six population-based cohorts. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(2), 289-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.09.012
5. Torske MO, Krokstad S, Stamatakis E, Bauman A (2017). Dog ownership and all-cause mortality in a population cohort in Norway: the HUNT study. PLoS ONE, 12(6), e0179832. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179832
6. Taniguchi Y, Ikeuchi T, Yong J (2024). Dog, cat, bird, fish, and other pet ownership and mortality: evidence from the HILDA cohort. PLoS ONE, 19(8), e0305546. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305546
7. Mubanga M, Byberg L, Egenvall A, 等 (2019). Dog ownership and cardiovascular risk factors: a nationwide prospective register-based cohort study. BMJ Open, 9(3), e023447. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023447
8. Levine GN, Allen K, Braun LT, 等 (2013). Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 127(23), 2353-2363. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31829201e1

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 2, tip 44. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer