>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO "GREAT DAY WASHINGTON."
WASHINGTON." YOU KNOW, DOGS NOT ONLY WARM
OUR HEARTS, THAT THEY CAN HELP
OUR HEALTH.
OUR HEALTH. FROM LOWERING ANXIETY LEVELS IN
BECOMING MORE MINDFUL, TO
WARNING ABOUT FOOD ALLERGENS.
WE ARE LIVE WITH LIFESTYLE
EXPERT VICTORIA TO SHARE SOME
WAYS THAT DOGS WILL HELP OUR
HEALTH.
HEALTH.
HEALTH. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE
LOVABLE, FURRY PUPS AND THE
GREATNESS THEY CAN BRING TO OUR
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. THE FIRST THING WE ALWAYS THINK
ABOUT IS JUST, THE MORE ACTIVE,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? THOSE DOGS ARE MORE ACTIVE.
HOW CAN THEY HELP US HELP OUR
HEART IN A PHYSICAL WAY?
>> DOGS ENCOURAGE US TO
EXERCISE WITH DAILY WALKS.
THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SPEND
ALL DAY ON THE SOFA.
YOU CAN GO HIKING, GO TO THE
PARK, AND THERE'S A LOT OF
TIMES THEY LIKE TO BE AROUND
NATURE.
NATURE.
NATURE. THAT'S BENEFICIAL TO THE DOG
OWNER.
OWNER.
OWNER. YOU GO TO PARKS, BEACHES, OR
THE FOREST, WHICH BRINGS HEALTH
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. THEY ARE GREAT TO GET OUTDOORS
AND GET OUTSIDE.
>> THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT
YOU CANNOT SIT THERE ALL
MORNING LONG.
MORNING LONG. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE GOOD THING IS THAT THEY
WANT YOU TO WALK THEM BECAUSE
THEY NEED IT.
PEOPLE CONSIDER WALKING THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DOG, AND
IT'S NOT EXERCISE FOR THEM.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO DO
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. IF
THIS. IF THEY AREN'T THINKING ABOUT
THIS AS AN EXERCISE, THEY
THINK, I HAVE TO HELP MY DOG,
IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY ARE GETTING FIT BECAUSE
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY DOING
ACTIVITIES.
ACTIVITIES. >> WHAT ABOUT STRESS LEVELS?
>> STROKING A DOG CAN REDUCE
TENSION AND BLOOD PRESSURE.
IF YOU PLAY WITH A DOG, IT
ELEVATES YOUR SEROTONIN AND
DOPAMINE LEVELS.
DOPAMINE LEVELS. THOSE ARE THE NEUROCHEMICALS
RESPONSIBLE FOR WELL-BEING.
AND IF YOU LOOK INTO THEIR EYES,
OXYTOCIN RELEASE IS AND THAT IS
THE FEEL-GOOD CHEMICAL.
SO, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, IF
YOU ARE JUST WATCHING TV,
STROKING A DOG, YOU'RE ABLE TO
BENEFIT, JUST BY HAVING LOWER
STRESS AND ANXIETY BECAUSE OF
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> THAT IS AMAZING.
SOMETHING SO SIMPLE TO MAKE US
FEEL BETTER.
FEEL BETTER. WHAT ABOUT THOSE THAT LIVE
ALONE?
ALONE?
ALONE? HOW CAN THEY FEEL LESS ISOLATED?
>> DEFINITELY, THEY PROVIDE
COMPANIONSHIP, THEY PREVENT
LONELINESS AND ISOLATION.
THERE'S A LOYALTY COMPANION
THAT GIVES STRUCTURE TO YOUR
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. SO
DAY. SO IF YOU LEAVE, YOU KNOW THERE
IS SOMEONE WAITING FOR YOU AT
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. YOU
HOME. YOU HAVE TO GET UP EVERY
MORNING AND HELP THEM TO THE
PARK, TO GO ON WALKS.
THERE IS DEFINITELY A FEELING
OF NEED THAT YOU GET.
SO YOU DEFINITELY HAVE
COMPANIONS THAT YOU WANT, BUT
YOU ALSO FEEL LIKE THERE ARE
EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS
AS WELL.
AS WELL.
AS WELL. >> I HEAR SO MUCH FROM FRIENDS
WHO HAVE DOGS.
THEY KNOW EVERYBODY ON THE
BLOCK BECAUSE THEY ARE OUT
WALKING, AND IT IS LIKE THE
BEST SOCIAL WING MAN THERE IS.
>> YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T BE AN
INTROVERT.
INTROVERT. YOU WILL GET STOPPED ON THE
STREET WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT
THEIR NAME, THEIR BREED, HOW
BIG THEY WILL GET.
ESPECIALLY SOMEBODY WHO IS
THINKING OF BECOMING A DOG
OWNER, THEY WILL WANT TO KNOW
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. HAVING A DOG HELPS YOU TO
IMPROVE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE BY A
LOT.
LOT.
LOT. >>
LOT. >> HOW DOES SOMEBODY FIGURE OUT
IF THEY ARE ALLERGIC?
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE
THAT ARE HYPOALLERGENIC, BUT
WHAT CAN THEY DO FOR THAT?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF
HYPOALLERGENIC DOGS THAT YOU
CAN FIND OUT BY TAKING AN
ALLERGEN TEST, BY FINDING OUT
IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO A DOG.
AND THERE ARE DOGS THAT ARE
TRAINED TO SEE IF THERE IS AN
ALLERGEN IN THE FOOD THAT YOU
ARE EATING.
ARE EATING. IF YOU HAVE A NUT ALLERGY, THEY
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETECT THOSE.
THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO
DETECT CANCER, AND THERE ARE
SOME THAT ARE EVEN TRAINED TO
HELP WITH PTSD.
SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS
GREAT.
GREAT.
GREAT. EVEN DOGS WITHOUT TRAINING WILL
TRY TO HELP THEIR OWN ARE IN
DISTRESS, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE
TO TRAIN YOUR DOG TO DO THAT,
THERE ARE SOME DOGS THAT WILL
KNOW WHEN YOU ARE IN DISTRESS
AND HELP YOU.
>> FOR SO THOSE OF US WHO DON'T
HAVE DOGS OR HAVE OUR KITTY
CATS, CAN THEY PROVIDE THE SAME
BENEFITS THAT YOUR LITTLE PUP
CAN?
CAN?
CAN? >>
CAN? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. PET OWNERS IN GENERAL HAVE LOWER
BLOOD PRESSURE SO THERE ARE
BENEFITS TO HAVING A CAT AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. WHETHER YOU HAVE BETTY OR
QUINN, YOU'LL HEALTH HEALTH
BENEFITS FROM GETTING A PET.
>> BENNY HAD TO MAKE AN
APPEARANCE.
APPEARANCE. I LOVE IT.
AND THERE IS BISCUIT.
>> HI, BISCUIT.
>> THIS HAS BEEN A BEHIND THE
SCENES STRUGGLE.
SCENES STRUGGLE. SHE'S NOT ALLOWED IN THIS ROOM
SINCE WE BROADCAST IN HERE.
SHE WAS, LIKE, I CAN'T COME IN
THERE, MOM.
THERE, MOM. >> WHAT DOES BISCUIT DO FOR YOU
ALL, ELLEN?
ALL, ELLEN? >> MY GOSH, I FEEL LIKE SHE
KNOWS WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL WELL,
SHE SITS NEXT TO YOU, BUT IS
ALWAYS READY TO PLAY WHEN YOU
WANT TO PLAY.
IT HAS BEEN FUN TO HAVE HER,
ESPECIALLY FOR QUARANTINE.
I WAS TELLING OUR PRODUCER
THOMAS, SHE HAS GAINED SOME
WEIGHT DURING FLORENTINE. BUT
YOU KNOW I'M A DOG LOVER.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A DOG TO
LIFT YOUR SPIRITS.
>> PETS BRING SO MUCH TO LIFT