Dog Longevity Survey Part II. How Important is Stress Reduction to Longevity? ~ CookingFood.Org

This subject naturally follows whether or not socialization has any impact on longevity.

Btw, socialization is not socializing; some people seem to have the two confused. Social contact is indeed very important but socialization is about teaching your dog that the things they will encounter in our world are okay and nothing to be afraid of. Socialization is one of the main means of reducing stress.

Most people who took the survey understand that stress reduction is important to longevity.

Extremely important	63.33%
Important	26.67%
Somewhat important	6.67%
Not important	0.00%
I don't know	3.33%
Other	0.00%

So what makes stress detrimental to health and longevity?

I think that everybody is familiar with the fight or flight response to a danger. Such response is important for survival. It's a physiological response allowing the body to pull all reserves in its self-defense. Every resource is put toward immediate survival and every other function gets temporarily suspended. That means digestion, immune function, self-repair ... everything gets put on hold because there isn't much sense worrying about a cold when you're being chased by a lion.

This is a problem on two levels. First, the body is flooded with hormones in order to run or fight. But in the modern life, none of that is usually involved. It is more like spinning your tires while having the breaks on at the same time. You're gonna do some damage to your car.

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But with chronic stress, the damage goes further with all other functions being suspended long-term. Nutrients don't get properly digested and absorbed. The immune system fails to function properly. And the body will not get a chance to repair itself.

Eventually, the whole system breaks down.

Sticking with the above metaphor, what do you think would happen if you were spinning your tires like that indefinitely if you did manage to keep adding fuel. The tires would wear down to nothing or burst into flames. There would be no oil changes, no tire changes, no repairs ... eventually, the engine would seize. In other words, do this long enough, you'll destroy the car.

A living body can take a lot of beating but it is not invulnerable.

Related articles:
Dog Longevity Survey Part I
Dog Longevity Survey Part II
Dog Longevity Survey Part I Results
How Important Is Weight Management for Longevity?

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