Welcome to Soulful Sunday #13 for April 9, 2023.
If you’re new to The Power of Change, welcome, and thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me.
I. Why Life Is Better With a Dog
II. Master Your Monday - A mindful tip to help you start the week.
I. Why Life Is Better With a Dog
After pleading with my parents for a dog for many years, they surprised me with my first puppy when I was 12 years old. Dogs have been a large part of my life ever since.
I can’t imagine life without one.
Dogs make me happy. But research shows I’m not alone. In fact, studies suggest dogs make us happier and healthier.
Why do dogs make us happy?
Dogs always know what their owners need and are happy to oblige. They shower us with unconditional love, entertain us with their playful energy, and console us when we need a hug.
Ask a pet lover what their canine companion means to them, and I’m confident the response will include a list of heartfelt sentiments.
Dogs are a part of our family. They are beloved and cherished members who bring joy and happiness to those around them. And when the time comes that we must say goodbye, the loss can be profound.
I’ve spent the last week reflecting on the importance of dogs in our lives because our 13-year-old dog Gracie spent several days in the veterinary hospital this week. She was diagnosed a year ago with chronic kidney disease, which will take her life. It’s been a year since she was diagnosed, but she has done better than anyone expected with treatment. I hoped she was out of the woods until her symptoms roared back two weeks ago.
It’s forced me to face the sad reality that we’ll have to say goodbye to her long before we’re ready.
From the moment Gracie entered our lives as a puppy, she knew how to make us laugh and smile. Her exuberant and welcoming personality brought a smile to everyone that met her. To this day, her greatest joy is walking through the neighborhood, greeting neighbors and friends along the way, both four-legged and two-legged. She loves to make others happy.
Always ready with a hug and a snuggle, she’s brightened so many days during her short life. If only they could spend more time with us.
The goodbye is what makes having a dog so difficult.
Until then, however, we’ll ensure she knows how much she is loved and appreciated and thank her for all the happiness she has brought us.
How dogs improve our lives
It didn’t take long for me to find numerous studies that confirmed what I already knew: dogs enrich our lives in numerous ways.
Some of the many benefits of owning a dog include the following:
1. Dogs make us feel less alone.
An Australian study found that dog ownership reduces loneliness, and a US survey of pet owners and non-pet owners found that 85% believe interaction with pets also reduces loneliness. The impact dogs make is even more relevant for people living alone.
2. Dogs reduce stress and can help us live longer.
A review of studies published between 1950 and 2019 found that dog owners have lower blood pressure and improved responses to stress.
Like Gracie, your canine companion can offer comfort, ease your worries and reduce anxiety.
Scientists at Washington State University discovered that just 10 minutes of petting a dog could have a significant impact and lower blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension.
3. Dogs help us cope with crises.
Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine discovered that military veterans with PTSD do better both physiologically and psychologically when they have a service dog. Veterans with a service dog had significantly fewer symptoms and showed improved coping skills.
4. Dogs encourage you to move.
Those long walks add up. A 2019 British study discovered that dog owners are nearly four times more likely than non-dog owners to meet daily physical activity guidelines. Dog owners spend 200 more minutes walking every week than people without a dog. While I may not always feel like walking in the cold and snow, Gracie loves the snow, so we never miss our walks.
5. Dogs make us more social.
Walking with a dog can make you more approachable and offer a great conversation starter. Have you ever noticed that people walking with a dog will smile, say hello, or wave, while those alone may not?
Thanks to my walks with Gracie, I have met so many wonderful neighbors and friends.
A study at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University concluded that people with a strong attachment to a pet feel more connected in their human relationships. That connection often leads to more social behavior.
6. Dogs make us happier.
If you’re like me, just looking at a dog can make you happier and lift your spirits, but a 2009 study in Japan found that staring into your dog’s eyes raises your level of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone.” Besides the general health benefits of owning a dog, they are natural mood boosters.
7. Dogs help seniors with cognitive function and social interaction.
Studies exploring the effects of dogs on seniors found positive results as well. One study found that pet therapy improves the cognitive function of residents in long-term care, while another showed significant decreases in agitated behaviors in seniors with dementia.
These are just a few of the ways dogs improve our lives. If you have a dog, leave me a comment and let me know the impact your dog has had on your life.
My family has been blessed to have Gracie for 13 years, and before her, Spencer and Puff. For more than 40 years, dogs have enriched our lives and made each day one to celebrate.
Though most dog owners may think they spend their lives caring for their pets, I’m pretty sure dogs take good care of us too.
II. Master Your Monday - A mindful tip to help you start the week.
If the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all.
—Unknown
Four lessons I learned from Gracie:
-Walk every day. It’s good for the heart and soul.
-Greet others with a smile (or tail wag). It spreads happiness.
-Stop and smell the flowers. It promotes gratitude.
-Surround yourself with the ones you love. It makes for a happy life.
Why Soulful Sunday?
I began The Power of Change to explore the potential to transform your life in meaningful ways.
Being mindful of your life is the first step.
Mindfulness helps you focus on what’s important today and throughout the week.
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Until next week, be mindful and enjoy each day.
Tracy We love dogs too, 3 is just not enough! We just lost our little Jack Russell Oliver Crane Last month we had to assist him. I decided to bring my Reiki Music CD and player, we wrapped him in a comfy blanket and he had his little sweater on. We struggled with this for over a month until it became obvious to us and the vet that we had to help him. We loved him so much right up until the end. We played the music, I gave him Reiki, we brought him feathers, flowers and I wrote him a poem. Prior to this, one day I held him, and verbally told him all the fun times we had with him, and how important he was to us. Eiley was 6 when we got him and she is 23 now. He literally looked into my eyes while I held him and told him this. It was extremely powerful. He knew what i was saying. So we were saying in a joking way, what kind of brid he would come back as, I said well he can't be a hawk, becase that's me, he can't be a cardinal because that's my father, so E said I know, he will come back as as dove! After about an hour with him, at the vet, we walked outsided and right there above our heads on the wires in the parking lot was sitting one lone dove. We thought, boy that was fast! and took his picture.
Sorry to hear about Gracie. I feel the same about my little sausage. Got her as an adult and she brings such joy to my life. She's a love generator. Thanks for sharing.