The rise of 'dog lending' good for people, great for pets

KRYSTAL Sheehan's hobbies include walking dogs at the US National Arboretum, feeding dogs cups of whipped cream and cuddling with dogs on her couch.

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KRYSTAL Sheehan and Tycho Janssen took out Mondo during a Shelter Skip Day with Brandywine Valley SPCA. Krystal Sheehan BAM, 6, rests during an outing with Claire Morse. Claire Morse BILLY, 2, during an outing with Krystal Sheehan. Krystal Sheehan

(Krystal Sheehan Claire Morse Krystal Sheehan)

Yet Sheehan, 23, doesn't own a dog. She loves spending time with them, she said, but she doesn't have time to care for one every day.

She hangs out with one almost every week, though, through an animal shelter that encourages people to take out its dogs for a few hours. It's one of many programmes that have emerged across the United States in recent years that give people and dogs a chance to spend time together without making a major commitment.

Psychologist Kerri Rodriguez, who leads a group at the University of Arizona that researches animal-human interactions, said spending just five or 10 minutes with a dog can make people happier and decrease their stress.

In fact, research has shown that when people interact with dogs, oxytocin - known as the love hormone - increases in both species. This is true even if you're petting someone else's friendly dog.

"They love us unconditionally," Rodriguez said of dogs. "And for a lot of people, that can be really therapeutic in itself, just being able to bond with this animal, no questions asked."