The grim and dark coronavirus pandemic has created a swarm of sadness and boredom around the world. Individuals try to find a distraction to the negative situations to cope with their quarantine. However, people are neglecting one of the best ways to temporarily cure their worries: their furry canine pets.

It is no wonder these creatures are called “man’s best friend.” According to Psychology Today, dogs have been known to make personal connections with their human owners and can actually produce oxytocin which creates a feeling of love and affection towards others which in turn creates a strong relationship between dog and man. This connection can also limit a human’s feeling of loneliness; with the world’s current particular situation it seems essential. From personal experience, playing with my dog and being around her has kept my family and I from potentially going insane while in solitary from the outside world.

Besides curing boredom and a lack of human interaction, studies have shown that just being around the family dog can actually help individuals with a lot of other problems relating to stress, depression, anxiety and can overall improve one’s health. While these are great outcomes that a dog can have on humans, people do not see these benefits as drastically as they do now. With self isolation put into place, pet owners are forced to be around their dogs more and are therefore starting to see the positive benefits associated with that.

Humans need to realize that while their furry companions provide them with many mental and physical benefits, humans can have the same impacts on their dogs. Dogs develop personal relationships with their owners and families. These animals can actually develop feelings of loneliness too.

This quarantine should not be the reason for individuals showing their dog more affection, instead it should be done year-round. These animals desperately crave their owners’ attention and with all the love they give and the bonds they share, it is what they deserve.