Is having a cat associated with a higher risk?
this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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I expect the causality goes both ways, for example maybe you wouldn't consider having a dog because your stressful job takes up too much of your time, or you don't have the money to pay for dog food and vet bills, or you live in a tiny apartment in the city and it would be cruel to keep a dog there, or you don't have the time or energy to take a dog on walks, or you just don't like going on walks or you're afraid to go outside, or you can't cope with raising a dog because of some health issue, or you have terminal cancer. In which case it's the dog-incompatible situation that's the issue rather than lack of dog.
People are unlikely to get a dog if they expect to die soon, or are generally unhealthy and unable to walk it which is also more likely if you are going to die within 10 years.
Does this dog buff stack? If I get 5 dogs, wil? I have a ~100 % immunity for the next ten years? Is there a cooldown? /j
5x 24 = 120. You're not just immortal for the next 10 years, you have 1 in 5 chance to revive the death as well.
Behold I am the great immortal and moderately effective necromancer. Fear the power of dogs!
Does the size of dog affect the buff? The average dog gives 24%, but does a 200lbs mastiff give more than a 4lbs chihuahua? Less?
As always, a good study ends with: 'Further study is needed on this subject.'
I think it would, but the chance of breaking a limb tripping over a dog does increase!
It decreases with a larger dog....
My doctor was very glad when I adopted a new dog after mine had died 18 months before. I have a good doctor.
Waking up early and going on walks is good for your health
There was a study a while back that associated grip strength with one’s grip on sanity, and many people confused the cause. If someone has something to do, they’ll have stronger hands. If they have a healthy diet that supports their physique, they’ll have stronger hands. If they lack a debilitating injury or disability, they’ll have stronger hands. If they have ambient time to devote to exercise, they’ll have stronger hands.
Unequivocally do I love my dog, but I try to avoid conflating associated privileges with results.
Just riffing off the headline here, but owning a dog is directly associated with engaging in the act of walking a dog, and walking is pretty well established to be good for overall health. There's no reason to assume there isn't causation when there very well could be
There genuinely might be something to it, but this strikes me as another “wine is healthy, ignore the healthcare and self care culture behind the European curtain” type situation. Until something more concrete comes out, I’m just gonna pet my pal for fun and stress relief and monke brain grooming instinct alleviation.
Soft hands typed that post.
I’ve already made arrangements with the local kill shelter to give me fifty dogs that were scheduled for execution. This weekend I’m going to the city to visit hospice facilities, to save some lives, two at a time.
To hold that many leashes you need quite a lot of grip strength
Since I've just read the headline and they are always the peak of the important information I was just going to get myself 100 dogs making myself 240% less likely to die making me immortal for 10 years.
240%? Please take note who is responsible for the zombie uprising this year.
People who drink wine live longer.
It's not the wine that's extending people's lives, it's the healthcare and lower stress from having enough money to afford wine.
I'm guessing wine-drinking countries also have good diets. Seeing as it's mostly around the Mediterranean and thereabouts. E.g. people of Caucasus are traditionally known for longevity while being pretty hardcore drinkers of wine and other stuff during celebrations, but they also have kingly cuisines and live in resort climates.
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walking dogs is good exercise.
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dogs are excellent security and help reduce certain anxieties.
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walking an invisible, imaginary dog probably has the same health benefits as a real dog for most people.
Yesterday I learned about #3. It's called "hobby dogging".
For more information, search for this with safe search off and add "UK"
It's really hard to pick up the invisible imaginary poop though.
I find it pretty easy. I never see any lying around that I've missed.
I bet ghosts hate you though.
Plus walking a dog in your neighborhood probably results in increased social interaction and less isolation, probably a plus for long-term health too.
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People likely to die in 10 years probably don't often choose to adopt dogs.
I'm not so confident. My grandma got a dog to fill the hole in her life left by my grandpa's death. Nine years later I inherited a dog. (TBH, she was already on the deep slide into dementia when Grandpa died and losing her partner of 5 decades didn't help.)
What I'm saying is old folks sometimes do things we wouldn't expect.
I bet it’s a mix of walking more and them making you happier.
Some people also just hold on to life until their dog dies of old age.
I bet is all the assassins the dog repeal everyday without the owner knowing
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Yeah, as the other comment says, these are almost always correlations, not causations. Poor people are almost certainly less likely to own a dog. I'm sure the exercise helps, but I'd bet on it not being the largest factor.
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My cats would like a word.
More rent payments? Hard pass.
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