This Golden Retriever saved its owner from a rattlesnake bite

Paula Godwin/Facebook

A Golden Retriever is being credited with saving his owner from a rattlesnake in Anthem, Arizona, on Friday.

According to a Facebook post from Paula Godwin, she was on a hike with her dogs when she almost stepped on a rattlesnake.

Godwin said her dog, Todd, jumped in front of her leg where she “surely would have got bit.”

Watch the video below for more information about the incident:

The brave dog is expected to be OK.

Need more evidence that dogs truly are man’s best friend?

Research shows that owning a dog can actually help you live longer. A 2017 study found that for people living alone, owning a dog can decrease their risk of death by 33 percent, and their risk of dying from cardiovascular issues by 36 percent. Single people who lived with a dog were also found to be 11 percent less likely to have a heart attack.

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What about couples or families who live with a dog? Those people also saw health benefits. Their risk of death was 11 percent lower, and their likelihood of cardiovascular death dropped by 15 percent.

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So, how is it that dogs can help their humans stay healthier? Well, for starters, dogs usually require walks, which means their owners are guaranteed some exercise at least once or twice a day — rain or shine (or snow or wind!).

“We know that dog owners in general have a higher level of physical activity, which could be one explanation to the observed results,” said Tove Fall, senior author of the study and Associate Professor in Epidemiology at Uppsala University.

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What’s more, the study found that dog owners tend to have increased social well-being and stronger immune systems. The increased immunity could result from dogs bringing dirt into the home and licking people, which, in turn, could impact the bacteria that lives in humans’ guts.

RELATED: 9 Human Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat

What’s more, people who have dogs have natural opportunities to socialize, whether it’s stopping and chatting with neighbors who want to pet your dog or forming friendships with other dog owners at the park.

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“It may encourage owners to improve their social life, and that in itself will reduce their stress level, which we know absolutely is a primary cause for cardiovascular disease and cardiac events,” said Dr. Rachel Bond, Associate Director of Women’s Heart Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the research.

So, if you’ve been on the fence about bringing a dog into your home, you might want to do it — for your health, if nothing else!

RELATED: Watch 16 Golden Retrievers go for a swim!

Written by Seth Pines for KNXV. Additional reporting by Simplemost staff.

Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Animals, Good News, Health, News, Pets

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