Dog ownership

1 paper4 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

1 lab in 1 country

Humans1

Associations

Cortical thickness

upin humans1

1 study

Dog ownership is associated with cortical thickness in humans (2.35 ± 0.03 vs 2.30 ± 0.04 (right) and 2.35 ± 0.03 vs 2.32 ± 0.04 (left)).
Humansolder adultsn = 25
Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study
PeerJ31 Jul 2026

Total gray matter volume

upin humans1

1 study

Dog ownership is associated with total gray matter volume in humans (599,156 ± 10,035 mm3 vs 588,028 ± 12,945 mm3).
Humansolder adultsn = 25
Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study
PeerJ31 Jul 2026

Cognitive function

downin humans1

1 study

Dog ownership is associated with cognitive function in humans (112.2 ± 12.8 vs 116.3 ± 10.3).
Humansolder adultsn = 25
Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study
PeerJ31 Jul 2026

Physical activity

upin humans1

1 study

Dog ownership is associated with physical activity in humans (8,972 ± 5,650 vs 7,107 ± 2,989 mean steps per day).
Humansolder adultsn = 25
Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study
PeerJ31 Jul 2026

Latest

1 in 12 months

PeerJ4 Aug

Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study

Cross-sectional study of 25 peoplePopulations

Paper