Share a sweet cuddle!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 NATIONAL HUG YOUR HOUND DAY

It’s no secret that loving on our pets can make us smile. Now researchers in the journal Stress and Health found that the effects can last for hours. They invited volunteers to pet up to 12 dogs for 20 minutes and found that participants’ stress dropped by 45%, energy increased by 37% and happiness increased by 27%. “We took a follow-up measure 10 hours later and there were still significant effects,” says researcher Stanley Coren, PH.D. “That sort of touching releases oxytocin (the love hormone), and that knocks down stress for several hours.”