Labrador Retriever Voted Most Comforting Dog Breed
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Did you know that owning a dog can actually reduce the amount of stress you feel? There are many perks to owning a dog in addition to companionship with comfort and stress-reduction being two which can have a major impact on your life, particularly if you are prone to stress, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
The UK Surveyed
National Accident Helpline (NAHL) recently created a survey that asked 2,000 pet owners about if they felt that their pet reduced stress and comforted them and 87% agreed that they did and just 2% stating that this was not the case for them. Interestingly, the survey also looked into the different breeds and who found what to be the most comforting.
The Nation’s Most Comforting Dog
Overall, the nation voted the Labrador Retriever as the most comforting dog breed across all age ranges. 55-64-year-olds found Border Collies and Golden Retrievers more comforting than other age ranges but there was not a huge amount of different across age ranges with Cockapoos and Springer Spaniels coming in second and third respectively.
Results by Gender
The female respondents found that a Cockapoo was the most comforting dog while males responded saying that Lab Retrievers were the most comforting. Both genders had a soft spot for Springer Spaniels, while men found Border Collies and Staffordshire Bull Terriers to be comforting.
Results by Region
The region was another area that revealed interesting results with cockapoos and lab retrievers being joint-favourite in Central and Northern England while Scotland found border collies more comforting than other areas. South East England and Wales voted lab retriever the most comforting while Northern Ireland had a lot of love for the Staffordshire bull terrier.
Why the Labrador Retriever Was Top Dog
While there is some variation between gender and region, it is clear that there are a handful of breeds that the UK public tend to find the most comforting. It is unsurprising that Labrador Retrievers were ultimately the top dog as this is one of the most common dogs, they are easily trained, have a gentle temperament and are very affectionate.
How Dogs Comfort Owners
It is not just these breeds that can provide comfort though and studies reveal that dog ownership can greatly reduce stress and anxiety, so much so that they are frequently used now as emotional support animals to support those with stress, anxiety, PTSD etc. Dogs are intelligent creatures and seem to be able to pick up on the emotion of their owners and know when they are in need of comforting. It is thought that they are able to understand emotion through facial expressions, voice, smell and body language.
Dogs are certainly man’s best friend and the NAHL survey revealed that it is the Labrador retriever that the nation finds to be more comforting. Regardless of breed, it is a special relationship and dogs seem to have the intelligence to know when their owner needs comforting as well as how to do this.
Photo by:
Amanda Klamrowski from Pexels
The post Labrador Retriever Voted Most Comforting Dog Breed appeared first on Wag The Dog UK.
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