Dog Owners More Likely To Share Germs With Pets By Not Washing Hands Than By Sleeping With Dog

As I share a home with three dogs at the moment it is reassuring to read about this piece of research on the ScienceDaily website

(2009-01-30) -- Dog owners who sleep with their pet or permit licks on the face are in good company. Surveys show that more than half of owners bond with their pets in these ways. Research done by a veterinarian found that these dog owners are no more likely to share the same strains of E. coli bacteria with their pets than are other dog owners.

It reminds me of a story told by a dog-trainer acquaintance a few years ago, she regularly informed people that she shared her bed with her two 'large' dogs. When someone expressed their abject horror at such a "disgusting and unhygienic arrangement" she replied "I don't see what the problem is I've sleep with dirtier men!" - the complainant was apparently utterly lost for words!

Oh and the picture above is not me or the wife!