# Are dogs as pets really bad to health as some claim? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506 "2020-03-14T22:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaverocK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/1 "2020-03-14T22:46:14Z")
I came across a thread in a subreddit called “DogFree”. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/comments/fio2xs/in\_wake\_of\_this\_coronavirus\_hysteria\_dogs\_have/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/comments/fio2xs/in_wake_of_this_coronavirus_hysteria_dogs_have/) The guy writes: > [@](#): > > "I thought about this when a dog-nutter friend of mine started considering bailing on a trivia night my local bar is having. We have planned this event for several weeks and paid for entry. She, and by extension her husband, are considering not going to the trivia night for fear of germs and the Coronavirus. > > Yet, they adopted a dog that is nuts. It barks constantly, pee/poop in house, drools on them, etc. Her and her husband love this dog to death and constantly cuddle it. > > I can almost GUARANTEE that their dog has more germs and bacteria than our local bar would EVER have. > > Dogs don’t wipe their ass when they poop, yet they invite the dog to lay in the bed and rub its butt on carpet. > > The dog literally eats anything it can, including garbage and it’s own poop. But they kiss the dog and let it lick their face. > > Dogs roll around in mud, dirt, water, you name it. All of the germs from outside, the dog literally brought into the house. > > Didn’t health experts say the Coronavirus started from animals (bats I think) and then transferred to humans? Animal “germs” are bad for humans, much like human “germs” are bad for animals (ex: giving dogs chocolate) > > We live in the US, and we all have never traveled internationally. > > Typical dog-nutters, blind to reality. Another guy supports him: > [@](#): > > Dogs definitively are immune suppressors for sure, in that they are so filled with germs ecoli etc (in feces from mouth). Dog owners bodies are no doubt attending to fighting off all this zoonotic bacteria on a daily basis. This overtaxes their immune systems which in turn are not at top peak to deal with other illnesses that may come along. All my opinion of course . All I know is they carry all sorts of filth into the homes and into people’s bodies. How much of those written above is true? If they are mostly wrong, what is wrong with this subreddit named “DogFree”? I have never heard or read claims like those in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/2 "2020-03-14T23:01:18Z")
[The 10 Health Benefits Of Dogs (And One Health Risk)](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj6oYWRh5voAhXVFjQIHWyMAL4QFjACegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fthe-10-health-benefits-of-dogs-and-one-health-risk_n_57dad1b8e4b04a1497b2f5a0&usg=AOvVaw3rsun1LYnv7bNU1O_Y8Ik8) [It’s Official: Dog Owners Live Longer, Healthier Lives](https://time.com/5028171/health-benefits-owning-dog/) I would very much like to see well performed studies showing our friendly furry ones and their assorted individual biomes acting as immune suppresors. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/3 "2020-03-14T23:03:58Z")
Things like this > [@](#): > > Didn’t health experts say the Coronavirus started from animals (bats I think) and then transferred to humans? Animal “germs” are bad for humans, much like human “germs” are bad for animals (ex: giving dogs chocolate) convince me that we’re not dealing with a paragon of logic and good information here. The possible harm to dogs from chocolate has nothing to do with human “germs.” And > [@](#): > > I can almost GUARANTEE that their dog has more germs and bacteria than our local bar would EVER have. the _number_ of “germs and bacteria” isn’t particularly relevant; it’s their effect on our health. If these sorts of claims were valid, we’d see evidence that people with dogs were less healthy than those without. Yet, as far as I’ve been able to find, the opposite seems to be true. [Pets are good for your health, and we have the studies to prove it](https://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/11-studies-that-prove-pets-are-good-your-health) > [@](#): > > Living with a pet as a child also revs up your immune system. In fact, just a brief pet encounter can invigorate your disease-defense system. In one study, petting a dog for only 18 minutes raised immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in college students’ saliva, a sign of robust immune function. > > There’s even some new research that suggests links between the microbes pets bring into our home and the beneficial ones that live in our digestive tract. [It’s Official: Dog Owners Live Longer, Healthier Lives](https://time.com/5028171/health-benefits-owning-dog/) [Having a dog can help your heart — literally](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/having-a-dog-can-help-your-heart--literally) [The 10 Health Benefits Of Dogs (And One Health Risk)](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-10-health-benefits-of-dogs-and-one-health-risk_n_57dad1b8e4b04a1497b2f5a0) ETA: Looks like **Alpha Twit** found some of the same links I did. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/4 "2020-03-14T23:05:01Z")
Dogs???!! Kids are walking biological weapons. Just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/5 "2020-03-14T23:09:41Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > ETA: Looks like **Alpha Twit** found some of the same links I did. 🙂 True enough but I appreciate the ones you posted as well as the more thorough response you offered to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/6 "2020-03-14T23:52:06Z")
As much as I dislike dogs, and feel that dog owners are in general and with rare exception very selfish in selecting a pet that is noisy and generally touchy enough that it would qualify as charged with assault if it was a person doing it many times over, in general pets have a positive effect in the owners health. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/7 "2020-03-15T00:02:58Z")
It’s very simple. Whenever someone makes a statement that something is “very harmful” or “very dangerous” to your health, just look at the population who fit that criterion, and see if they are less healthy on average. So: Cell phones causing brain tumors? Well, 500 Zillion people use cell phones every day - do they all have brain tumors? No. Dogs causing illness? 63 Million households have dogs in the US - are those people obviously sicker than everyone else? Can you tell a dog owner by how sick they are? No. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/8 "2020-03-15T00:06:49Z")
> [@](#): > > I can almost GUARANTEE that their dog has more germs and bacteria than our local bar would EVER have. I can almost guarantee this is _ **not** _ true. At least in terms of the “germs” and bacteria that count. Bars, like any place where people congregate, consume mass quantities, slobber on each other when drunk enough and void their bowels, are cesspools of potential infection with a variety of things that will infect YOU. Human-to-human communicability chains are a lot more common than animal-to-human. Human and dog mouths harbor very different floras and dogs aren’t necessarily _cleaner_ on that score, but they certainly harbor fewer human-specific pathogens. In terms of infection( i.e. discounting mechanical damage )you’re probably better off getting bitten by a dog than a human. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/9 "2020-03-15T01:55:54Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Dogs???!! > Kids are walking biological weapons. > Just sayin’ This is the first I’ve heard of this particular subreddit, and they do look somewhat serious, but it appears to be influenced by the r/childfree subreddit. Which is a bit nutty. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/10 "2020-03-15T03:14:05Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I can almost guarantee this is _ **not** _ true. At least in terms of the “germs” and bacteria that count. Bars, like any place where people congregate, consume mass quantities, slobber on each other when drunk enough and void their bowels, are cesspools of potential infection with a variety of things that will infect YOU. Human-to-human communicability chains are a lot more common than animal-to-human. > > Human and dog mouths harbor very different floras and dogs aren’t necessarily _cleaner_ on that score, but they certainly harbor fewer human-specific pathogens. In terms of infection( i.e. discounting mechanical damage )you’re probably better off getting bitten by a dog than a human. I agree on first, people are a much more likely source of bacteria and viruses dangerous to other people than animal are in general, in terms of ‘casual contact’ with the animal. Eating animals is another story, likewise animal feces is another story. But carried away anti-dog people notwithstanding, it’s not common for most dogs to shit in the house, and you can clean their butts. On second, dog mouths are less infectious to us than human ones not only because their germs/viruses tend to be different than ours, but their saliva is more antibacterial than ours. That’s one reason they can eat/drink contaminated stuff more readily than we can without getting sick to their stomachs. The apparent health benefits of dog owning were mentioned, though in fairness to dog haters those are mostly indirect (exercise, stress reduction etc). Their contention that the direct physical effect of having a dog around is bad for human health is mainly groundless rather than the wrong way around. But overall they have it the wrong way around. Allergies being the exception, for people with severe allergies. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/11 "2020-03-16T18:01:53Z")
Dogs have surprisingly few diseases they can pass to people. There’s Rabies but virtually all owned dogs are vaccinated by law. You can get ringworm if your dog actually has ringworm and you touch it. That’s a fungal disease despite the name. Not very many more I can think of. There are shared internal parasites, but you would have to actually handle dog feces with your bare hands and then lick your fingers, which is why transmission is pretty rare. I think the OP is, once again, sigh, confusing being squicked out by something with it actually being in any way dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/12 "2020-03-16T19:03:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Human and dog mouths harbor very different floras and dogs aren’t necessarily _cleaner_ on that score, but they certainly harbor fewer human-specific pathogens. In terms of infection( i.e. discounting mechanical damage )you’re probably better off getting bitten by a dog than a human. Not much doubt about that. If I had to be bitten (and the physical trauma was identical) I’d much prefer to be bitten by a dog. From a Medscape article: _“Approximately 10%-15% of human bite wounds become infected owing to multiple factors. The bacterial inoculum of human bite wounds contains as many as 100 million organisms per milliliter and is made up of as many as 190 different species. Many of these are anaerobes that flourish in the low redox environment of tartar that lies between human teeth or in areas of gingivitis. Most injuries due to human bites involve the hands. Hand wounds, regardless of the etiology, have a higher rate of infection than do those in other a locations… Human bites have been shown to transmit hepatitis B, hepatitis C, herpes simplex virus (HSV), syphilis, tuberculosis, actinomycosis, and tetanus.”_ One of the scarier human pathogens is [Eikenella corrodens](http://sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/eikenella-corrodens), which can cause serious soft tissue infections and spread to internal organs like the heart. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/13 "2020-03-16T19:31:18Z")
It’s totally fine to not be a fan of dogs, but I don’t see why anyone would feel the need to spread pretty blatantly wrong information and make arguments that, well, really don’t lead anywhere… I might as well go on a rant about why kids and babies are so bad for your health and how I can’t fathom why anyone would want them. Dog mouths are said to be cleaner than human mouths. I don’t know about physically cleaner, but freer from disease, absolutely. Or at least diseases harmful to us. Rabies is one of the few things to worry about, which as someone else pointed out, you are far more likely to get from a wild animal than a dog. Also, various studies have pointed out that people with dogs tend to live longer than those without. Maybe it’s because of exercise, but it still means that any harmful effects are outweighed by the benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/14 "2020-03-16T22:08:14Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > It’s very simple. > Whenever someone makes a statement that something is “very harmful” or “very dangerous” to your health, just look at the population who fit that criterion, and see if they are less healthy on average. > So: > Cell phones causing brain tumors? Well, 500 Zillion people use cell phones every day - do they all have brain tumors? No. > Dogs causing illness? 63 Million households have dogs in the US - are those people obviously sicker than everyone else? Can you tell a dog owner by how sick they are? No. Like the claim (on this board even) that every time you flush the toilet, you aerosol-ize shit all over your bathroom, which leads to disease, death, death-like symptoms, and the condition known as sausage fingers. If that were true, we’d be dropping dead at an alarming rate. But we aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![MaverocK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/15 "2020-03-17T04:24:47Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Dogs have surprisingly few diseases they can pass to people. There’s Rabies but virtually all owned dogs are vaccinated by law. You can get ringworm if your dog actually has ringworm and you touch it. That’s a fungal disease despite the name. Not very many more I can think of. > > There are shared internal parasites, but you would have to actually handle dog feces with your bare hands and then lick your fingers, which is why transmission is pretty rare. > > I think the OP is, once again, sigh, confusing being squicked out by something with it actually being in any way dangerous. Thanks a lot for the informative answer. There has been great answers under this thread and I am truly thankful to everyone. 🙂 🙂 I personally have a lot of affection for all kinds of animals out there and I was sad to see a thread like this on Reddit. What I don’t understand that: > [@Ulfreida](#): > > I think the OP is, once again, sigh, confusing being squicked out by something with it actually being in any way dangerous. 1.) Why are you letting a sigh? 2-) You are saying “once again”. When did I last time confuse being squicked out with being in any way dangerous? I don’t remember. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/16 "2020-03-17T06:51:18Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Like the claim (on this board even) that every time you flush the toilet, you aerosol-ize shit all over your bathroom, which leads to disease, death, death-like symptoms, and the condition known as sausage fingers. If that were true, we’d be dropping dead at an alarming rate. But we aren’t. Lest the longer-term Dopers forget, and the newer Dopers never knew, **Master Cecil** discusses: [Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1317/does-flushing-the-toilet-cause-dirty-water-to-be-spewed-around-the-bathroom/), April 16, 1999. TL;DR: Yes, but your kitchen sink is even filthier, and you’d be better off brushing your teeth with toilet water, as illustrated by Slug. (Worth checking out this article for the illustration alone.) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/17 "2020-03-17T13:18:16Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Lest the longer-term Dopers forget, and the newer Dopers never knew, **Master Cecil** discusses: [Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1317/does-flushing-the-toilet-cause-dirty-water-to-be-spewed-around-the-bathroom/), April 16, 1999. > > TL;DR: Yes, but your kitchen sink is even filthier, and you’d be better off brushing your teeth with toilet water, as illustrated by Slug. (Worth checking out this article for the illustration alone.) Thank you for the link! But it does illustrate my point. People are still brushing their teeth with tap water, rather than toilet water, and yet, billions of people aren’t getting sick. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/18 "2020-03-17T15:39:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh, so when other people call their pets “fur baby” it’s fine, but when I call a kid “skin dog” I’m “disgusting” and “the worst pediatrician in this hospital”??? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/20 "2020-03-18T22:58:04Z")
As an anecdote, I can say I got a puppy 6 months ago, and my health is better now simply because it’s forced me to get out and be active several times a day to walk her. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506/22 "2020-03-19T02:28:56Z")
Wow, both **HengsenKerpangsen** and **mona22** have BMI of 18, and long hair! What are the chances? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-dogs-as-pets-really-bad-to-health-as-some-claim/849506.md?page=2)