Sure, we all know that dogs make us emotionally happier. Every day when I wake and I have the cold noses of Master Magnus and Lady Bailey in my face, there’s nothing I can do but smile. It’s an automatic response. And when I’m at my lowest point, I reach out to hug them and everything is better.

Thanks to  a new study from the University of British Columbia, we know that dogs are helping students overcome the daily stress of being at school and having to deal with the pressure that come with schooling. Other studies also talk about how people who own dogs get sick less often, pregnant moms with a dog in the house are less likely to develop allergies or become overweight, and heart attack patients with dogs are 8 times more likely to be alive another year.

They are, in a sense, one of the finest holistic healers in the world.

Now go hug your dog. Talk to her. Give him a squeeze. Know that every second, you’re making both of you feel a little better.