Those who have four-legged pets know the satisfaction of getting home and that these animals are waiting anxiously to provide a pet after a long day’s work. They not only give love , but also know when you suffer, when you are happy or need company. However, a study has shown that the huge list of benefits of having a dog at home, adds one more: strengthen the relationship as a couple. ” Animals , specifically dogs, which imply greater responsibility, build a step prior to that commitment that exists in a relationship,” says Nayara Malnero , an expert psychologist in couple therapies .
This study, carried out by Rover.com , a platform for pet sitters and walkers, has shown that having an animal friend strengthens the relationship between couples . According to the survey, 64% of Spanish couples say their relationship has been strengthened since they have dogs. In addition, 50% confirm that they spend more quality time together thanks to their partner . «Having a dog can be a previous step to having a child because we see how our partner is getting involved, how we share the tasks, how we commit ourselves. A dog is a small preliminary assessment that can be wonderful, and couplesthat they organize well for dog care are usually couples who organize well for other things, ”explains the psychologist.
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Yoga with dogs, the trend of the moment
The yoga with dogs is a variation of yoga designed for pets can practice it with their human families. This discipline, widespread in some countries in Asia and the US , brings numerous benefits for both animals and their owners. «The goal of yoga with dogs is to achieve a deep connection with the dog, so that both humans and dogs enter a vital state of relaxation. In addition, for people it is a very useful practice to reduce stress , anxiety and achieve full concentration levels, ”explains Monica Vesprini , Brand Manager and spokesperson for Purina Beyond.
How do yoga sessions help you ? Monica Vesprini knows the innumerable benefits of practicing yoga with our pets: «Help the pet to relax in the company of other humans and pets, we get the dog to enjoy the affection and caresses of its owner with more tranquility and also improve their motor skills, so that you gain flexibility , strengthen your joints, as well as the circulation and proprioception of the dog, ”he explains. «Some of the postures used are the same Asanas that in conventional Yoga and other postures are adapted to have contact with the dog »
Esther Acebo, protagonist in the series “The paper house” and ambassador of the Yoga Dog Day event , practices yoga with her dogs. «Many times I practice yoga at home and if they are close they usually get with me. They give me a lot of calm and I know it happens to them too, ”says the actress.
Not all that glitters is gold
Not everything is sewing and singing and it can also be a litmus test for any relationship: it has been shown that having dogs at home has occasional contraindications … Apparently, one in ten people surveyed (10%) states that they have Less sex now that there is a new member in the family, especially because he shares a bed with them. «The dog sleeps with the owners or the dog replaces moments of intimacy. Rover allows us to have a dog, to take care of him, but not to take away certain moments of a couple. That quality time is reduced or that sexuality is reduced by having an animal at home is something we should not allow. It is important not to go from being a couple to being ‘daddy and mommy’ 24 hours a day, ”says Nayara Malnero, a couples expert.
What about millennials?
According to this study, 1 in 5 millennials (19%) has decided that their family is composed only of dogs and not children. Almost half say that having a pet means having a life together. In addition, they are the ones who decide to be “parents” before: one in four do so in the first year of relationship. «Millennials are deciding not to have children but to have a dog . This form of care can be reflected in something that is not as important dedication as a child, but dogs, ”says the couples psychologist. However, this is also a source of conflict . Apparently, for millennials, having a pet can be a source of conflict. Almost a quarter of them (around 23%) confirm thattheir partners become jealous because they pay more attention to their dogs than to them. As they say, many of them “publish more photos of their dogs than their partners on social networks.”
