Science says having a dog as a child makes you less likely to suffer with anxiety

We knew it!

We don't know about you, but we're very much of the opinion that life is much better in the company of a dog. And it seems that science is very much on our side on that front.

Not only do dogs love their owners five times more than cats do, but studies have shown that simply walking your dog makes you happier all-round.

Research has even proven that it's better for you to sleep next to a dog than another human at night. They really are man's best friend.

Now, a recent study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease suggests that children who grow up in the company of a floof are significantly less likely to struggle with anxiety.

Researchers compared two study groups of children, 370 who lived with a pet dog and 273 who did not. After a screening test for anxiety, 12% of the dog-owning children were positive for anxiety, compared to 21% of the non-dog owning children.

'What we actually found was children from homes with pet dogs had lower anxiety scores than children in homes with no pet dog,' research scientist and the study's author, Dr Anne Gadomski explained.

'Interacting with a friendly dog also reduces cortisol levels, most likely through oxytocin release, which lessens physiologic responses to stress. These hormonal effects may underlie the observed emotional and behavioural benefits of animal-assisted therapy and pet dogs.'

Go doggos!