Our four-legged friends are known for being great companions but they can also improve our social lives. Recent studies show that pets help us create strong, long-lasting friendships with one another that can result in a range of health and wellbeing benefits.
Robin Hargreaves, Vet Panel Lead at Agria Pet Insurance, comments: “Dog walkers are the pet owners who most obviously routinely get to experience this wonderful social side of dog ownership. Whether it’s rambling through the park or strolling through the local neighbourhood, dog walking gives people the opportunity to meet one another and, in some cases, form friendships that otherwise wouldn’t occur if it wasn’t for their dogs.”
Research suggests that being a pet parent is the third most common way we humans meet new people. In fact, pet owners are 60 per cent more likely than non-pet owners to form new neighbourhood friendships1.
Robin continues: “It’s undeniable that pets provide owners with an exciting social life full of wagging tails and new friends. But this is not the only benefit our furry friends can offer. Pets enable us to significantly improve our mental health and reduce feelings of loneliness thanks to the increased number of social interactions that come hand-in-hand with pet ownership.
“The pandemic caused significant loneliness and has highlighted the importance of maintaining strong communities, as those that felt the most lonely prior to Covid-19, now experience even higher levels of loneliness2. With this in mind, a simple ‘hello!’ when walking your dog can go a long way and might even spark a new friendship.”
Robin Hargreaves has shared five ‘pawsome’ tips for making new friends while out and about with your dog:
- Ensure your dog is well-trained to help ensure friendly encounters with other pups
- Walk your dog at the same time each day and/or in the same place to see familiar, friendly faces
- Offer a simple ‘hello’ or a wave when passing other owners. Asking about a dog’s breed is an easy conversation starter
- Carry some healthy treats with you to share with other four-legged friends - but always remember to ask the owner’s permission!
- Join a dog-walking group to meet like-minded owners
Agria Pet Insurance is a firm believer in creating and maintaining relationships through pet ownership. The annual Agria Dog Walk, which took place at Waddesdon Manor last month, is a fantastic example of a community event at where dog owners can meet-up, exchange stories and form new friendships; all while raising funds to support animal charities across the UK.
After a pandemic pause, the Agria Dog Walk returned on 21st May. It saw dogs and their families from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, as well the UK, walking simultaneously and raising over £37,000 for animal charities across Europe. Here in the UK, Brits raised over £10,000 for Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
