For thousands of years , masters of Companion Animals have known that their Companions made them feel good , but no one knew why .
Now researchers have discovered , what is believed to be , the scientific answer to that age-old question .   The following information was taken from the July/August 1988 edition of "Psychology Today ."

    In the early 1970's  researchers discovered that there are opiate receptors in the human brain that helps the body to produce Opiate --- or Morphine-like chemicals called "Opioid Peptides" or "Endorphins" ( short for "Endogenous Morphines" ) that are responsible for much of our Physicological and Psychological well-being .
It is believed that endorphins play a role in almost every human experience from birth to death .
There are many things in our lifestyle that act as releasers for these endorphines --- Exercise , Laughter , Compulsive gambling , Skydiving , Mountain climbing , Masochism , Acupunture , etc , etc , --- also , peting , Talking to , Playing  and Walking with , and Laughing at our Companion Animals .

    Matt weinstein , a humor consultant from
Berkeley , California says there is a possible link between endorphins , laughter and health .
And he agrees with William Fry , a psychiatrist at Stanford's Medical School , who is cnvinced that mirth and playfulness can diminish Fear , Anger and Depression .
Wade Silverman , psychologist and researcher at Georgia State Univeresity and Lewis Maharam , a sports medicine internist at Manhattan's New York Infirmary/Beekman Downtown Hospital both agree , and several studies show , that endorphins in the blood do bloster the immune system's activity .
And Murray Allen , a physician and kinesiologist at Canada's Simon Fraser University believes that regular moderate exercise has an effect on positive moods .

    Therefore , it is very easy to see from the above that pets , especially dogs , can be a very great therapudic value to humans and must be made an essential elemeny in our very stress-related, frustrating society .
And if dogs are to be of therapudic value they must not be treated as fur-covered , animated furniture and four-legged garbage disposals , but as members of the family with , Not Equal Rights but , Equal Consideration .
The benifits enjoyed by the humans will depend on the amount of effort , affection , kindness and devotion they put onto the relationship .
For humans to reap the Full Benefits , Dogs must be treated as Surrogate Children .
We Must Always refer to our Companion Dogs as Adopted Surrogate Children, and oureslves as Foster Surrogate Parents .

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