If you already wanted a dog, count the daily walk toward your steps — don’t get a dog just for longevity

Dog owners are on average about a quarter less likely to die over the same period, and those who keep a dog after a heart attack or stroke do even better. But once other differences are accounted for, large studies in the UK and Norway see no difference, and owning a cat shows no link either. So don’t get a dog just for longevity; if you already wanted one, count the daily walk as walking.

Cost

Keeping a dog is an ongoing expense: food, vaccines, deworming, vet bills and registration all have to be paid, for as long as the dog lives. You also have to find time to walk it every day and arrange care when you travel. The hard part is doing it every single day; once you have a dog you can’t just stop. China has no official statistic on what a dog costs, so no figure is given here.

Benefit

Pooling 10 observational follow-up studies covering about 3,840,000 people, followed for an average of 10.1 years, dog owners had about 24% lower death risk (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67–0.86). 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 estimate was not adjusted for other factors. A Swedish nationwide register study of about 3,430,000 people adjusted for income, marital status and the like. Among people living alone, dog owners had about 33% lower death risk (HR 0.67, 0.65–0.69); among those living with others, about 11% lower (HR 0.89, 0.87–0.91). Among Swedish heart-attack patients, those living alone with a dog had about 33% lower death risk (HR 0.67, 0.61–0.75), and those living with a partner or children about 15% lower (HR 0.85, 0.80–0.90). After ischemic stroke the figures were about 27% lower (HR 0.73, 0.66–0.80) and about 12% lower (HR 0.88, 0.83–0.93) respectively. Counter-evidence: in a UK pooled analysis of 6 health surveys with 59,352 people, followed for an average of 11.5 years, dog ownership showed no link with death after full adjustment (HR 1.03, 0.98–1.09), nor with cardiovascular death (HR 1.07, 0.96–1.18). A Norwegian study with a median follow-up of 18.5 years found virtually the same death risk for dog owners (HR 1.00, 0.91–1.09), and dog owners there were no more active than others. In the Swedish twin register, among 34,202 people who could be asked about lifestyle, the link between dog ownership and lower cardiovascular disease and death risk could not be reproduced. An Australian study of 15,735 people followed for 4 years found dog owners’ death risk about 23% lower (OR 0.77, 0.59–0.99), part of which could be explained by more physical activity. Owning a cat, bird or fish showed no link with death. The American Heart Association’s 2013 statement says that pet ownership, especially dog ownership, “may be reasonable” for lowering cardiovascular risk, the weakest tier of recommendation. The same statement explicitly advises against adopting, rescuing or buying a pet mainly to lower cardiovascular risk.

Notes

Contested. Everything above is observational follow-up with no randomized groups, so it cannot support “get a dog for longevity.” People who keep dogs may already be healthier and more active, and people who are ill or disabled may be less likely to keep one; these differences cannot be fully removed. The pooled 24% was not adjusted for anything, and in the studies that could ask about lifestyle the difference disappeared. In another Swedish study, dog owners were slightly more likely to start blood pressure or lipid drugs, so even if the death risk really is lower, it is not because blood pressure or lipids came down. The one actionable point: if you already have a dog or were going to get one, count the daily walk toward your steps; for how much is enough, see Section 2, item 11 (7,000–8,000 steps a day). Leashes, vaccination and liability when a dog bites are covered in Section 8, item 30 (dogs must be leashed). For how older relatives should hold the leash to avoid falls, see Section 17, item 10 (older people walking dogs). The benefit size is set to large mechanically from the pooled 24%, but that figure is unadjusted. The main beneficiary of this item is you.

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