Not only do dogs make great companions, dogs' microbiomes may actually help keep their owners healthy, according to The New York Times.
Animals like dogs bring with them their own cocktail of bacteria, and exposure to those pathogens early in life can help prevent the development of asthma and allergies, per one study in the New England Journal of Medicine cited by the Times.
The study showed Amish children in Indiana who lived in close quarters with barnyard animals had lower asthma rates than Hutterite children who grew up on mechanized farms in North Dakota.
One of the study's co-authors, Jack Gilbert, PhD, told The New York Times, "If we can't bring our kids to the farm, maybe we can bring the farm to kids," meaning having pets could be an effective option to grow a better immune system than growing up around barn animals.
That's because dogs add "diversity to the indoor microbiome," according to the report.
Research into the indoor microbiome and animals is still getting started, Netzin Steklis, a biologist with Tucson-based University of Arizona, told The New York Times. "We'll know more soon," she said.