A dog has three things on a husband: he is happy eating the same meal every night, he doesn’t talk back, and he doesn’t want sex. Which is why, on the really bad days, I prefer the company of my furry friends–the two Lab-Chow mutts that took me a year to house train–over the human ones.

Expectations, in general, are bit lower for my dogs than for Eric and the kids. All I have to do to get kisses is scoop a cup of dog food into their bowls and give them some water–and maybe let them out every so often to poop.

Research shows that pets can improve mood. Stroking another living creature–especially in a world as deprived of touch as ours–evokes the production of beta-endorphins just like the other depression-busters: meditation, exercise, music, sex (preferably with orgasm), prayer, good food, dancing, and yoga.

Here’s some of the latest information, according to Karen Schwartz, Director of Clinical Program at the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center:

“In one study, pets seemed to temper some of the psychological stress of being a caregiver to someone who is ill or suffering from dementia. In the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, men with AIDS were less likely to be depressed if they owned a pet than if they didn’t. Even dental phobia–an intense type of stress for some people–is counteracted by the soothing effects of pets. One study of patients awaiting mouth surgery found that an aquarium in the reception reduced nervousness when it came time to see the dentist, since people focused on the colorful fish rather than their anxiety.”