Why Every College Kid Should Have A Dog

College is a stressful time for most people. There’s a ton of things to experience and get done, and by the time you blink, it’s time for finals, and the pressure mounts.

Unfortunately, many college students end up feeling burnt out or stressed which can have a serious toll on mental health. Research has shown that dogs help reduce stress and may be more efficient than stress management courses!

In one study, 300 students from Washington State University were enlisted in one of three different stress management programs for a month with varying interaction levels with therapy dogs. Roughly ⅓ of the students were flagged as “at-risk” by the researchers based on learning disability or academic struggles.

The difference lay in how much time the dogs and the students spent together. Patricia Pendry, a professor at the university had already discovered that petting a dog for 10 minutes could relieve stress. So, she wanted to know if college students could benefit from extended exposure.

The first group had no interactions with dogs and instead sat through typical research-based stress management presentations. The second group did not sit through presentations and instead spent the entire time engaging in activities with the therapy dogs. The third group split the time in half, spending 50% with the dogs, and 50% watching presentations. The results showed that the second group was the most successful and all students saw improvement, even the ones marked “at-risk”.

Pendry’s theory was proven. Dogs make humans feel more comfortable and improve their mood. They are a good distraction from everyday issues and can help everyone, not only college students.