an essay about all these four articles and also add my personal experience

Pets: Good for your health

There's no doubt that Americans love their pets. A new survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AV/MA) shows that more than 57 percent oft Yes, scholas own one or more animals. But having pets can actually provide health benefit is geodorexperts, as long as you re not allergic to animals or terrified of them. "Pet ownership is good for your health both physically and psychologically," says Connecticut psychologist Herbert Meburg, author of "Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children" (HarperCollins):

Sure, pets provide companionship and unconditional love. But research has shown that they can. also help reduce stress and blood pressure in owners, increase longevity in those who've had heart attacks, and even relax and improve the appetites of Alzheimer's patients. "Any disease condition that has a stress-related component to it, we believe pets could ameliorate stress and moderate the situation," says biologist Erika Friedmann, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. "It's providing a focus of attention that's outside of someone's self.

They're actually letting you focus on them rather than focusing inward on yourself all the time." Many four-legged pets, especially dogs, can also get owners off the couch. "They're there to greet you when you come home at the end of the day, and they're ready for some play and attention," says veterinarian Scott Line, associate editor of the "Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health." "They need to exercise, so it propels people out the door." These walks also force pet owners to socialize instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, which can help improve their mood. "It gives people a routine, a thing to do. You have to get up and take care of the dog. You can't lie in bed all day," says Friedmann

Can Pets Enrich Children's Lives?

By Perri Klas

There's a common belief that living with a pet teaches children some skills they can use in their interactions with other humans. "The belief is that maybe pet-owning children are subconsciously aware of what's happening around them, that they have learned nonverbal communication," Dr. Alan Beck said.

Researchers are now investigating pet ownership in normal child development, in childhood obesity, in traumatized children, and in autism. For example, the hope that children may learn empathy and communication skills from animals has led to examining the role of pets in the lives of children with autism. Some autistic children who have great difficulty with human social interactions can form deep bonds with animals. "There is some evidence that bringing a pet into these households has a dramatic effect on the behavior of these kids," Dr.

James Serpell said.

Other experts are investigating the increasingly widespread practice of using dogs to calm or comfort children in stressful situations, usually medical or legal. In addition, dog-walking is being examined as a strategy to increase exercise in children -as some studies have shown it can do in adults. "This is a highly motivating physical activity, when children walk with a dog," Dr. Rebecca Johnson said.

The current research is different from past research about pet ownership. The past discussions tended to focus on the risks of pet ownership, such as allergies.

The strongest evidence of the importance of pets, Professor Gail Melson said, comes from children themselves, who often talk about pets as sources of emotional support.

Dr. Serpell said growing up with a pet gives children a sense of self. And, he said, "I think it has implications for the relationship of people to the other beings on the planet."

Adapted from: "Can Fido enrich children's lives?" by Perri Klas, M.D. The New York Times.

The Science of Pet Therapy is Getting Serious

By Mandy Oaklander

Being a pet in America is a plum gig. Pets are incredibly well loved: according to a 2015 Harris poll, 95% of owners think of their animal as a member of the family. About half buy them birthday presents. And it's a two-way street. People who have pets tend to have lower blood pressure, heart rate and heart-disease risk than those who don't. Those health boons may come from the extra exercise that playing and walking require, and the stress relief of having a steady best friend on hand.

Scientists are now digging up evidence that animals can also help improve mental health, even for people with challenging disorders. Though the studies are small, the benefits are impressive enough that clinical settings are opening their doors to animal-assisted interventions - pet therapy, in other words - used alongside conventional medicine. "It used to be one of the great no-no's to think of an animal in a hospital," says Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, citing the fear of causing infection. "Now, I don't know of any major children's hospital that doesn't have at least some kind of animal program."

The rise of animal therapy is backed by increasingly serious science showing that social support

- a proven antidote to anxiety and loneliness - can come on four legs, not just two. Animals of many types can help calm stress, fear and anxiety in young children, the elderly and everyone in between.

More research is needed before scientists know exactly why it works and how much animal interaction is needed for the best results. But published studies show that paws have a place in medicine and mental well-being. "The data is strong," Beck says. "If you look at what animals do for people and how we interact with them, it's not surprising at all."

What Pets Bring to the Party

Like deities and tax law, your beloved pet works in mysterious ways. Science can't explain the power of the pooch or the Karma of the kitty, but numerous studies have shown that furry companions--just by their presence--can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, raise chances of survival after a heart attack, reduce loneliness and depression and spread all-round good cheer.

Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, a critter provides more comfort than a spouse. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York at Buffalo measured stress levels and blood pressure in people--half of them pet owners--while they contended with performing 5 min. of mental math or holding a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a spouse, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets fared best. Those tested with their animal pals had smaller spikes in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math errors than when figuring in front of spouses or friends. In another study, Allen put a group of hypertensive stockbrokers on blood-pressure-lowering drugs and told half of them to adopt a pet. Six months later, the new pet owners showed less than half the blood-pressure surge of their peers while performing stressful tasks--and, again, made fewer math errors. It seems people feel less nervous around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.

In part, it's that capacity for unconditional support that makes pets such good company. A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only buoys your spirits but may also help you trim your gut. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 portly people and their equally pudgy dogs on joint diet-and-exercise programs; a separate control group of 56 people without pets was put on a solo program. On average, people lost about 11 lbs., or 5% of their body weight. Their canine sidekicks did even better, losing an average of 12 lbs., more than 15% of their body weight. Pup owners didn't lose any more weight than the pup-less but, say researchers, got more exercise overall--mostly with their dogs--and found it rewarding instead of a chore.

No scientific study has deconstructed exactly why pets boost our well-being, but for most pet lovers that probably doesn't matter. It's enough to know that like many of the other basic joys in life, a pet's affection is simple, easy and mercifully unconditional.

Personal experience

I had a dog called robot but he died in 2011 and i was really sad about