Having grown up with Schneider Snoopy Alvares, a beagle who turned into a sibling, my dear friend and confidant. My one and only pet, having another was never ever a consideration.
For those fourteen years of Schneider Snoopy Alvares in my life, here’s what I learnt –
- Dogs are a good judge of character, they are able to judge human behavior, and they can tell when people are being nasty to them or with each other. Dogs do take note of unkind people around their owners and will keep close watch of the person till they depart. If you see your dog refusing a treat from a person, be wary of that person too.
- Dogs smell fear, they have olfactory superpowers that can detect a human’s emotional state by the smell of humans. When you are by a dog, the sweat you emit contains chemical signals that a dog can sense and know your fear towards them. It’s a science.
- Dogs do say sorry by expressing themselves through physical signs like — walking up to you with their tail-between-their-legs, eyes gazing at you, ears drooped and even rubbing their body against you or patting you with their paw. It is a submissive expression to apologize for naughty behavior.
- Dogs do sense death, I have experienced this on several occasions with all the dogs in our family, due to their acute sense of sound and smell, dogs are able to pick up oncoming death and alerting those around with a wolf like bark or cry. So when you find your pet barking or making unusual sounds, it is an indication that trouble is up some place.
- Dogs also have the ability to alert their owners to supernatural presence, they do this by barking, growling or at times flare their teeth and fur and retreat while staring at nothing. It may sound freaky, but it does bare truth, dogs do sense supernatural presence.
- Dogs do sense anxiety in humans, and are thus trained and used for patients with impaired vision and mental health. They recognize signals of anxiety and when they sense anxiety in their owners, they pacify them with closeness and touch which directly increases the production and release of Oxytocin (the happy hormone) instantly reducing anxiety, provide a sense of calm and can even fetch medication for their owner.
- Dogs love closeness, just being around their owners, hearing their voices or their smell is comforting, a lot like children I would say. Their closeness increases oxytocin production and levels of serotonin, which in turn decreases levels of stress and lower blood pressure. Research has shown that simply petting a dog and any social interaction between the dog and humans lowers the stress hormone cortisol, elevating levels of trust, relaxation and positive emotions.
Dogs do love to hang out with humans, you can enjoy ways to elevate your spirits and keep you away from depression and anxiety, with your boo in tow, Especially now that the festive season is near and the chaos the pandemic has caused, keeping families away from each other, loneliness can make its way to you. Indulge in the company of shared activities
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– Active relaxation through — Walking, Yoga, Pilates, Breathing, to get the endorphins flowing.
– Activities — playing mental games with the computer (if you lack company), painting, playing a musical instrument, knitting or sewing with your dog lying close enough to feel the warmth of its touch, these are excellent for both motor skills and mental health.
– Being one with nature — nothing can calm you better than a walk in the woods, or the mountains or maybe on the beach if you enjoy a soak in the sun. Truly one can never tire of nature, every sunrise and sunset is special, unique and irreplaceable, dogs love the outdoors too.
– Music — it transports the soul to a place of restoration and when you have your dog listening in, it’s special.
Breathe in joy and vitality, if you have a dog for company, it’s a double whammy.
