Emotional Support That Barks

 


As a personal update, THIS IS MY NEW PUPPY, PUCK.  Named after the main character in my favorite Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, I know he will bring some magic and light into my life.  And his arrival is timely.  I've been feeling a darkness in my mood that makes me uneasy....  This little fluffball here can divert that energy into more positive things like getting him exercise and training him to be the best boy.

My family had a golden retriever when I was growing up, Amber.  I begged my parents to get me a dog for most of my life, honestly.  I had a few Christmas mornings where I would wake up to find a dog toy or a dog bed, often with a note that said 'Puppy coming soon!'  My parents now laugh about this when we chat about it, saying that they realize that maybe wasn't the best way to let a little girl know that her parents were trying to decide if they could take on a puppy.  I had almost given up hope by the Christmas that I got a letter from Santa saying that I was going to go pick out a puppy in a couple of months.  This puppy just so happened to be born on December 3rd, the day after my own birthday.

I didn't fully recognize it when I was younger, but Amber was an incredible support for me in my adolescent years.  Coming home to her wagging tail and goofy demeanor always helped me forget about whatever not-so-great things had happened that day.  It's not that my issues disappeared.  Instead, she simply provided me with unconditional love that served as a momentary distraction and allowed me to collect my thoughts.

Animal contact has been documented in research to reduce stress and anxiety. In fact, The Journal of Patient Experience recently put out an article on the reasons why companion animals are beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The article states how ‘the non-judgmental and loving approach of animals induces feelings of trust, calmness, and well-being. This makes it easier for [patients] to speak about emotional and personal topics readily, rather than suppressing those thoughts and emotions.’  It points to the release of oxytocin in both humans and animals after positive physical contact as a means to stress reduction.  Oxytocin is commonly known as 'the love hormone' and is a neurotransmitter that is involved in many social functions of humans.  Basically, this physical contact is good for both human and canine alike.

As we've been dealing with this COVID-19 pandemic for over a full year now, it is possible that individual's have gone through any number of hobbies or activities for stress reduction.  I know some that have found solace in art one day and kickboxing the next.  These new hobbies can capture our interest and then lose it in a relatively short period of time.  It is important to note that animals should not fit in this same category of short-term solutions.  

Many point to the pandemic as the reason that the demand for adoptions and fostering of pups have increased dramatically.  Shelters have been emptying out as individuals have been welcoming new furry friends into their homes.  With this, volunteers and directors of those shelters have been worrying that they might also see an increase in the number of abandoned pets, as people realize how much time and money it takes to care for an animal.  Luckily, these worries have not been realized thus far, and I hope that it stays that way.  One article from National Geographic found that 80% of people who adopted a dog in 2020 were already planning to adopt.  This suggests that most individuals who added a new animal family member this year were not impulsively bringing them into their home.  Instead, they had been planning to get a pet or thinking about the possibility of it when the pandemic hit.

The stay-at-home culture that developed when the pandemic began left many people with free time that they didn't have before.  Many chose to fill that time with the task of nurturing an animal.  I find this incredible and inspiring.  Another silver lining to COVID-19 might be that those animals have found loving homes.  And, in turn, their owners have gotten some stress relief from their new pets' presence.

Puck and Amber were both the runts of their litters.  I didn't realize this when I was leaning towards choosing Puck.  He came up to me when I met the pups.  He had so much wild energy and wanted to be a part of everything that was going on.  He would run up to me, let me pet him a bit, maybe nibble on my fingers, and then bolt off to go rumble with his siblings.  He reminded me of myself, before the pandemic and all of the negativity of my back injury.  So I knew he had to come home with me.  And I hope I can bring him half as much joy as he has already brought to me.

If anyone else is obsessed with dogs like I am, feel free to follow along with his adventures on Instagram.  His account, just_pucking_around, can be found here.  His antics might even provide you with some small amount of emotional support!

-Vicky


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