Did you know that people who have dogs live happier, longer, and more fulfilling lives?Sociologists and veterinarians have spent years investigating the positive effects that dogs have on people's health and happiness, yet their findings have been hidden in obscure journals. Now David Niven, the international bestselling author of the 100 Simple Secrets series, has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on the profound relationship between humans and our canine companions. Niven has boiled these findings down to the one hundred essential ways dogs positively impact our lives, with each of these "simple secrets" accompanied by a true story. If you love your dog—and science tells us that you do—you will find this book indispensable.Live longer: People who care for a dog are healthier and live an average of three years longer than those who do not.Walk around the block: Anyone with a dog regularly takes walks, and walking not only burns calories but decreases stress. Dog owners walk 79 percent farther in an average week than people who do not own a dog.