Until I was 40 years old, I was a botanical field researcher and constantly on the move, so much so that I seldom bothered to have an actual residence. I was also an only child and did not marry until I was 49 -- a fiercely-independent streak is a fundamental part of my makeup. Where would a dog fit into this picture?
Yet something in this untethered lifestyle never really worked for me. I was depressed for much of my early adulthood -- not clinically so, as I could still function, but I was miserable more days than not, often for weeks at a time.
In 1982, a longtime friend -- one of those rare, priceless people who can see gaps in your emotional life that are invisible to you -- gave me a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy as a birthday present. I told her, gently, that it was utterly inappropriate; my life was far too unsettled. She thrust the puppy in my arms, looked me in the eye, and said, "This will help to settle you."
It did.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
-- Edward Hoagland
Dogs have been my constant companions ever since -- for 30 years now. My current pair -- Asha, the female, is 2.5 years old, and Ajax, the male, is 3.5 -- are my third generation of ridgebacks. I raised all of them from puppies. All have stuck by me through my worst moods and often lifted me out of them.
They also care for me. Once, I was very sick with the flu, essentially immobilized in bed with a very high fever, muscle aches, and overall weakness. The male I had at the time, Jambo, lay next to me the entire time and absolutely would not move except to eat, drink and relieve himself, all of which he did as quickly as he possibly could so he could return to my side. It was healing medicine in the most real and profound sense, and I am absolutely sure it speeded my recovery.
The ways that my dogs can make me -- and my visitors -- happy constantly amazes me. Now, Ajax has started actually giving hugs. A person sits, Ajax walks up, puts his front paws on the person's shoulders, and rests his head on a shoulder. If that doesn't get to you, you are made of much sterner stuff than I am.
"No matter how little money and how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich." -- Louis Sabin
One of the most obvious ways dogs can improve our physical and mental health is via daily walks. In researching, Spontaneous Happiness, my book on emotional wellness, I received many stories from people who said their dogs' need for exercise and fresh air was precisely the push that got them away from immobile isolation in front of glowing screens and out into the sunshine.
But the benefits can go far beyond this. A great deal of research confirms that living with companion animals -- not just dogs, but also cats, birds, even reptiles and fish -- offers a wealth of physical and emotional rewards, especially for those in difficult circumstances. Lynette A. Hart, Ph.D., a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of California, wrote, "The comfort and contentment offered by animals is documented in a large number of studies with vulnerable people, including children, the elderly, and people with disability, disease and loneliness."
I explore some of the more unexpected benefits of pets in this article: "The Health Benefits of Companion Animals."
Andrew Weil, M.D., is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and the editorial director of www.DrWeil.com. Become a fan on Facebook, follow Dr. Weil on Twitter, and check out his Daily Health Tips Blog.
For more by Dr. Andrew Weil, click here.
For more on healthy people and healthy pets, click here.
Follow Dr. Andrew Weil on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrWeil
What are the Health Benefits of Owning a Pet
27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health – WebMD Slideshow
Health Benefits of Pets | CDC Healthy Pets Healthy People
17 Health Benefits of Owning a Cat | FutureMedica
Study Looks Into the Health Benefits of Pets - NYTimes.com
Health Benefits of Pets - How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce ...
Everything Dr. Weil has written is so true.
Dogs are definitely a healing force in our lives. I've been fortunate enough to share my life with dogs for the past 40 plus years now. I hope I never have to live a life without them around.
My 8 year old, Buster, has been my saving grace. During a particularly difficult time in which I was physically shaking, but unable to move, he stayed by my side and "kissed" me for nearly two hours. It was the only thing keeping me alive at the time. He kept me grounded when I was certain I was losing footing forever.
Through divorce, addiction, depression and self imposed solitude, he has reminded me how to breathe, love, give, accept love, live in gratitude, take only what I need from life and revel in the joy of simplicity.
Since we are all singing the praises of dog companionship, please take a moment to spread the love to your local rescues and shelters. There are far too many loving and deserving animals being euthanized because of overpopulation due to human irresponsibility of not spaying and neutering. Encourage adoption from breed rescues and pounds to put the puppy mills and backyard breeders out of business. Companion animals do so much for us unconditionally, lets do something for them.
The dogs that have been part of our family over the years have given us such joy, laughter, love, and a deeper sense of life itself. We have photos of our "furry kids" alongside that of our own children and (human) family members.
Author, Sam Keen, once lectured that animals are part of the "landscape" while humans are part of a "storyscape," but I differ with him in that the domestic animals that become part of our personal lives naturally take on human traits and mannerisms - endearing themselves to us even more so in the process.
Lisa Neumann