Dog-owners 'lead healthier lives' Dogs can provide companionship If you want to live a healthier life get a dog, research suggests. The companionship offered by many pets is thought to be good for you, but the benefits of owning a dog outstrip those of cat owners, the study says. A psychologist from Queen's University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular 'walkies' may partly explain the difference. Dr Deborah Wells reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of...