I’ve said this in my books, but I can’t say it often enough: one of my favorite, all-time ways to relieve stress is to spend time with my dog. Not only does Peanut make me laugh with his spunky personality and antics, his unstinting devotion and loyalty are always heart warming and validating.
Hundreds of studies have proven beyond a doubt that owning a loving, non-judgmental companion animal is good for you, mentally, physically, and emotionally. The simple stroking of a dog or cat has been proven to lower heart rate, decrease stress and anxiety, and lower respiratory rate and blood pressure. Even watching fish in an aquarium creates similar effects. It is both soothing and meditative.
With our stress and obesity levels at an all time high, we just might save two lives when we adopt a loving pet from the local shelter—theirs and ours.
Oreo is a Lab/Boxer/Dalmatian mix who is now 15 years old. I rescued him 10 years ago after he was abandoned by his owners when they sold their house and moved to Calif. At that time, he was a five yr old, 110 pound, UNaltered, UNtrained male dog and the shelter that he had been taken to wasn’t even going to keep him overnight because they thought he was unadoptable. Well, I showed them!!!
I had had 3 dogs (large mutts) who were together for 16 years, the last one being just two weeks short of 20 yrs old when she died 3 months prior to my adopting Oreo.. So I took him in, had him fixed, trained, put him on a diet along with long walks and trips to the dog park and he is now – 10 years later – a perfect, 65 pound angel. He goes with me everywhere, enjoys his summer home on the La Costa golf course, is a favorite guest at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills (they fight over who gets to walk him at night) and is still hangin’ in there at 15 !!
We walk twice a day in the good weather and once a day once the heat sets in…
I could not agree more! Our pets are pure positive energy. They can remind us, if we let us, to just relax, not take ourselves so seriously and that everything really is going to be okay.
My pals, Oscar and Felix, remind me every day to trust more, love more, play more and be more.
Thanks Dr. P!