My Dog Has Both Helped and Hurt My Mental Health

Modern society is full of claims that having a dog can do everything from improve our cardiovascular health to pretty much prevent existential dread. While I'll be one of the first to talk about how amazing pet ownership is, I also think it's important to be honest about the not-so-rosy realities, too.

This is a deep dive into some popular claims about pet ownership, what the research actually shows (and how hard it can be to isolate confounding variables), and my own personal experiences as the owner of a sensitive, fear reactive dog.