Dog Dreams
Dog dreams
Firstly, I will say that I
am an animal lover.
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| Lush Jack Russell! |
Here’s the blog connection.
15 years is quite a long time for anyone at any stage of life. Still unsure?
That’s how I roll!
15
years living by myself.
Clearer? I’ll drop a word in
with that.
Loneliness.
I have NOT been lonely for
15 years! Amazing family and friends. However.
At 43 years of age, single,
not working due to medical reasons, bla bla MS bla COVID-19 bla I know. I am once again
seeing a counsellor BY CHOICE; and he suggested knowing as I have said in
conversation, that as I am dog lover (I am) that I consider getting a dog!
Now this 10 below, are from huffpost.com,
more details about each benefit of dog ownership on that site. I have read and
until I got to the “Health Risk”, I was nearly ready to delete this blog:
The 10 Health Benefits of Dogs
(And One Health Risk)
Whether you’re a dog owner or
volunteer, hanging out with our four-legged friends can do wonders for your
wellbeing.
The 10 Health Benefits of Dogs
(And One Health Risk)
Whether you’re a dog owner or
volunteer, hanging out with our four-legged friends can do wonders for your
wellbeing.
1. Improve heart health [thankfully no probs there]
2. Keep you fit and active [I do what I can anyway]
3. Help you lose weight [ok there]
4. Improve your social life [granted, that would be beneficial]
5. Reduce stress [welcomed]
6. Add meaning and purpose [massively]
7. Stave off depression [also welcomed]
8. Prevent grandkids’
allergies [err, n/a]
9. Reduce doctor visits [fair dos]
10. Battle disease and injury [because of the other benefits?]
When Dogs Are Not So Great
…Falls can be cataclysmic
health events for people who are older, frequently leading to serious injury
(broken hips, etc.) and long hospital stays…
[walkies in/on icy conditions? Not my friend]
…Falls can be cataclysmic
health events for people who are older, frequently leading to serious injury
(broken hips, etc.) and long hospital stays…
[walkies in/on icy conditions? Not my friend]
Now this – this blog – is
neither a cry for help, nor an ask for a dog donation(!), but a loving friendly
rant (ha) of acceptance and why I will NOT be getting a dog.
I love dogs!
Always have done and always will. I have had a few of my own in my life, been
connected to many other too, and without regret. Ever.
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| My 1st dog Gripper, Border Collie! |
So why not get one then? I have time, yes. I have care for them in abundance. Financially I would make it work. I have dog experience. I HATE bad treatment of animals.
I also – as a realist - know
that I cannot be 100% certain of the state of my health, and with that
being capable of providing EVERYTHING a dog requires on a 100% regular basis.
For example; recently, after
a particularly bad week of piss-poor sleep (and other things), my body and
mind were not doing the best shall we say, and I knew there and then that I was
not capable of going very far at all, let alone taking a dog for a walk.
I thoroughly believe in, as
an acronym breakdown, the EDA* (Cesar Millan,
watched a shit-load on TV!) model fits what dogs should receive and in that
order.
*Exercise, Discipline^, Affectionú in that order. NOT something I made up (see Cesar above, and Chris Milne for another example).
^ that is effectively controlling and NOT hurting
ú I
do become a doggy-softy when left with a dog! (escalating ‘Affection’ a
lot)
Exercise. They need
it. Absolutely, and I love/d taking part in said exercise/s with a dog.
If I can’t stand-up to
providing that with a guarantee, then sorry, I’m out, with my err, tail between
legs!
Re-reading this I put myself back on the fence. CAN not CAN’T Roj. Food for thought on-going in my head! It’s a ruff decision!
1. Dogs don’t
just fill your heart; they actually make it stronger. Studies show that having
a canine companion is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and
decreased triglyceride levels, which contribute to better overall cardiovascular
health and fewer heart attacks. What’s more, dog owners who do have heart attacks have better survival rates
following the events.
2. Health
experts recommend that adults get about 2 hours and 30 minutes
worth of moderate exercise per week. Dog owners are way more likely to hit that goal. “People love to be
outside to walk their dog, and be with their dog,” says Kay Joubert, Director
Companion Animal Services at PAWS, a Washington-based animal advocacy organization.
“It helps them be more active.”
3. Want to
drop a few pounds? Grab Fido and get hoofing. Research has repeatedly found
that daily dog walks help you lose weight, since they force you to into
moderate physical activity for 10, 20, and even 30 minutes at a time. In fact,
in 2010, one small study discovered public housing residents who walked
“loaner” dogs five times a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds over the course
of a year. The best part: Participants considered it a responsibility to the dog, rather than exercise. (”They need us to walk them.”)
4. As we age,
it becomes harder to get out and meet people. Not so for dog owners.
Researchers have found that about 40 percent make friends more easily, possibly
because the vast majority—4 in 5, according to one British study—speak with
other dog owners during walks. “Dog owners in particular tend to be a little
more extroverted, or outgoing” says Joubert. “When you start to engage them
about their companion animal, people tend to open up and really blossom. They
want to share stories about their favorite friend.”
5. There’s a
reason therapy dogs are so effective: Spending just a few minutes with a pet
can lower anxiety and blood pressure, and increase levels of serotonin and
dopamine, two neurochemicals that play big roles in calm and wellbeing. People
performing stressful tasks do better when there’s a dog around, too, and
studies show dogs ease tension both at the office and between married couples.
6. As we grow
older—especially after we retire—it can be difficult to find structure and
meaning day in and day out. Dogs take care of that. “They force people to
continue to do things,” says Kristi Littrell, Adoption Manager at Best
Friends Animal Society in Utah. “So, even if you’re not feeling well emotionally or
physically, the dog doesn’t care. I mean, they care, but they still want you to
feed them and take them for a walk.”
Dogs help prevent loneliness and isolation, as well, which is key in staving
off cognitive decline and disease. “It helps us to not just focus on our
needs,” says Joubert. “It gives us a reason to really get up in the morning. ‘I
need to get up and take care of my friend here.’”
7. It’s
widely believed that dog owners are less prone to depression than the dog-less,
largely because they seem to help in so many other areas of health and
wellbeing. The truth is somewhat more complicated. Though there’s evidence that
certain dog owners—including isolated elderly women and HIV-positive
men—suffer less from depression than those without
pets, there’s also proof that dogs don’t do much for other demographics.
That said, therapy dogs—animals that do not stay
in your home—have been shown to be effective in easing depression for a variety
of people, old and young, sick and healthy.
8. Back in
the olden days (the ‘90s), experts believed having a dog in your home
contributed to children’s allergies. Fortunately, recent research shows just
the opposite is true: Dogs and cats actually lower a child’s chance of becoming allergic to pets—up to 33
percent, according to a 2004 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. As a side bonus, young ‘uns might even develop
stronger immune systems.
9. If you’re
over 65 and own a pet, odds are you seek medical help about 30 percent less
often than people who don’t have a pet. To wit: A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology established that animal-owning seniors on
Medicare “reported fewer doctor contacts over the 1-year period than
respondents who did not own pets.” And while cats, birds, and other animals
were helpful, “Owners of dogs, in particular, were buffered from the impact of
stressful life events on physician utilization.”
10. It’s
believed that owning a dog can help detect, treat, and manage a variety of
illnesses and debilitations. A few examples:
- Some
dogs have been trained to sniff out skin, kidney, bladder,
and prostate cancer, among others.
- Service dogs are known to benefit
people with everything from traumatic brain injury to autism to rheumatoid
arthritis, increasing mobility and promoting independence.
- Alzheimer’s patients are soothed
by dogs, whose companionship also seems to mitigate emotional flare-ups
and aggression.
A. According
to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), just over 86,000 falls per year are
caused by pets ― 88 percent by dogs. Falls can be cataclysmic health events for
people who are older, frequently leading to serious injury (broken hips, etc.)
and long hospital stays. If you’re looking to adopt, consider mobility issues,
and make sure to take steps to reduce the dangers of falls.
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