As we celebrate International Love Your Pet Day on 20th February, it is good to pause and reflect on how much dogs enrich our lives. They are often seen as ‘family members’ who offer us affection, fun, and emotional and physical support. Increasing evidence shows the health and well-being benefits that canine companions may bring to older adults (Enders-Slegers & Hediger, 2019; Gee & Mueller, 2019). That relationship can change over time, particularly as both dog and owner age, impacting healthy, active aging for both parties. SCAS trustee Dr. Sandra McCune and Dr. Daniel Promislow recently gave a webinar on this topic which is based on a forthcoming paper in the Frontiers journals’ Research Topic, ‘Our canine connection; The history, benefits and future of human-dog interactions’.
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