Persuasive Speech about Dogs and Why They Are Apparently Mankind's Best Friend

Despite the many arguments that a vast number of people will make that dogs cannot be man's best friend it has become clear, for numerous reasons, that these arguments are wrong. Dogs are indeed man’s best friend.

Firstly, there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that the companionship of a dog can benefit many people suffering from terrible loneliness such as elderly people. Staggeringly almost 2 million people in the UK felt unappreciated, unwanted and ignored according to Age UK, one of the top charities involved with the older generation. Even more worrying is the fact that a substantial portion of these people also reported that they spent numerous consecutive days without any social interaction. This is horrific. Can you imagine the loneliness, the isolation, the feeling of being unwanted and meaning nothing? What if there were a solution to this? Dogs. A scheme called Dog Dates has been established in Melton Mowbray, a town in the East Midlands. The scheme's brilliance comes as it allows these suffering people to participate in the contact with others that they both need and desire by being matched with a dog to allow them to walk a pooch without having to worry about the responsibilities involved with owning a dog. With their furry friend they are able to go out on walks and enjoy the great outdoors or even just relax. Dog Dates has already benefited a large number of people. One of the various people the scheme has helped is Doreen Barrat who has suffered previously from the horrific impacts of loneliness saying that she “lived in a flat which was extremely lonely” and would “wake up and think: ‘Oh no, another day’”. However, the companionship of the dog she was partnered with has changed her life for the better as “It means everything, It’s different. It’s living”. As the positive effects that the company of a dog are so obvious. It becomes clear that this is something we should embrace. With their brilliant and magical ability to help those suffering from loneliness, why would anyone argue that dogs are not man's best friend?

Furthermore, dogs can help save many due to the wide range of benefits that a dog may have on a person’s physical health. There is strong evidence which shows that dogs can benefit people by improving their heart function, helping them to shed unwanted weight or even preventing allergies in young people. Multiple studies have proven that owning a dog leads to better heart health. The companionship that a dog brings reduces blood pressure and lowers cholesterol levels which results in an improved heart. Additionally, walking your pooch is greatly beneficial. The love and affection that many people have for their canine companions results in them genuinely enjoying the time they spend outside and therefore boosts the amount of exercise they engage in and results in weight loss. It has been proven that those who walked a dog frequently shed on average almost 15 pounds a year. Thirdly, dogs help to prevent allergies in young people. This has been proven by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology who found that those who grew up with a dog were around 33% less likely to develop an allergy. This is such an astonishingly high rate. I urge you to realize the brilliant physical health benefits that a dog can bring to a person and therefore that dogs are indeed man’s best friend.

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Moreover, it is clear that not only do dogs benefit a person’s physical health but they are also incredibly beneficial to our mental health. For example, dogs can lead to a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression and can also help those suffering from PTSD. Physical contact with a dog such as stroking it results in the release of a chemical called oxytocin, a hormone that leads to a reduced heart rate and a lower blood pressure. This allows many to destress and helps to reduce the vile and horrific effects of anxiety which prevent many from enjoying their lives as many live in constant panic. Likewise, depression can cause many to feel as if they have no purpose causing them to follow chaotic schedules and feeling unmotivated. Dogs have an outstanding impact on this, providing many with a reason to get up, go out and walk their dog. Similarly, the impact that dogs have on those with PTSD is also incredible. The terrible memories that PTSD sufferers have can haunt them both in the day and also as night terrors. The effect of oxytocin released from dogs is extremely soothing for these people. With mental benefits that are so obvious it is incredible to imagine that anyone could even doubt that dogs are man’s best friend.

Additionally, dogs are man’s best friend due to the important role that they play in today's society. Dogs are vital to people today whether it be as guide dogs or dogs in the police force. The benefits that a guide dog brings to those with sight loss is extraordinary giving them the ability to live their lives more independently and with little assistance from others. As there are almost 5,000 guide dogs in the UK it is clear that the support from guide dogs is life changing for many. These dogs are also extremely intelligent as they are taught intelligent disobedience. This may not sound impressive but it is in fact crucial as it keeps many with sight loss safe. Intelligent disobedience is when the dog ignores commands given by the owner which are harmful. For example, walking into a busy road. Furthermore, the work done by dogs in the police force is also incredible. Police dogs are trained in many different ways with some trained to search for drugs or explosives and others may be trained to search for and hunt down criminals. These dogs also provide an intimidation factor, and in many cases protected their handlers from brutal injuries. One example of this was a heroic police dog called Finn. Even after being stabbed once Finn jumped between his handler and the criminal suffering near fatal injuries. However, he prevented his handler from receiving any injuries. This is just one example of the heroic abilities of police dogs. Once you realize the awe-inspiring skill and work that these dogs do it becomes clear that dogs are man’s best friend. Why else would dogs provide such great service?

Finally, whilst talking about dogs being man’s best friend, we cannot ignore their undying loyalty they have for people. One reason that dogs are so ferociously loyal is because of their ancestors. It is common knowledge that dogs are descendants of wolves and also that wolves are pack animals. For this reason, dogs have developed and evolved in such a way that they now view their owner as being the pack leader. Dogs were also bred to be like this. In the past people would only breed the most loyal dogs in order for them to be more effective workers. For both of these reasons dogs are extremely loyal to their owners. Moreover, the sight of their owners releases oxytocin in a dog's brain. This hormone is only released when social bonds are created or strengthened in both dogs and humans. This makes it clear that dogs are loyal because they enjoy the company of their owners. This loyalty is clear evidence that dogs are man’s best friends.

Overall, it is clear that dogs are extremely beneficial to people in many different ways. The tremendous benefits such as improvement to physical and mental health are clear. How could anyone who brings this degree of benefits to people's lives not be their best friend? For these reasons one thing becomes clear. Dogs are man’s best friend.