‘A dog is very easy to break,’ says Robert De Niro’s ex-CIA operative Jack Byrnes in 2000’s excellent comedy Meet The Parents. ‘But cats make you work for their affection. They don’t sell out the way dogs do.’

Even the taciturn Jack might change his opinion with the news that a pet dog can cut the risk of heart disease for those who live alone by 36%.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, couldn’t explain exactly why dogs have such a positive effect, but it could be due to the increase in exercise, responsibility and companionship.

A whopping 3.4million Swedes aged between 40 and 80 were studied – with 13% of them owning dogs – and the report reads: ‘Dog ownership is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in single households and with a reduced risk of cardiovascular and all-cause death in the general population.’

Cats are so far refusing to comment.

BTW, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has lots of dogs (and cats) that need a loving new home.

Read more: Should I get a dog?