#40 Puppy Power
A tiny bundle of joy has come into my life in the form of Teddy, my cavapoochon puppy. So it’s only right that I should dedicate a blog to the benefits of pets (well specifically puppies in this case) on our wellbeing. Really just an excuse to share adorable photos of the little ball of fur (sorry not sorry).
Unconditional love and companionship. She has only been in my life for 1 week but I already cannot believe how much love oozes out of such a tiny body. I don’t think I will ever get tired of the excitement she greets me with in the morning – SO many licks. They don’t call this breed ‘velcro’ for nothing - you think she’s asleep but you look down and there she is at your feet wherever you go!
Dog walks are a great reason to get outside regularly to take walks – Teddy isn’t allowed to go for walks until she has had her next vaccination but I can’t wait! Although I am not sure how I am going to fight off all the other dogs and humans that will want a piece of her extreme cuteness.
Play time! I am prone to being a big kid at the best of times – I love spending time with children and am usually the one leading kid fun at parties. I haven’t got little ones of my own to play with but now I have a puppy who loves nothing more than playing! So there is regular play time scheduled into each day which also gives me the perfect excuse to cavort around being a nutter (yay!).
Help to cope with stress. Research shows that pets can lower our anxiety by reducing levels of cortisol in our bodies. When you are feeling down or things are getting on top of you, spending time with your pet really can boost your mood. It doesn’t have to be a pet of the furry kind, watching a fish swimming round in a tank can be very soothing.
Pets don’t disappoint like humans do. So we all know that people can be hurtful or let us down with what they say (or sometimes what they don’t say) and do (or don’t do!) but puppies really just want to please us. They don’t ask for much (although it doesn’t feel that way right now when there is so much training to do) and they don’t talk back. So having a pet can restore faith in living creatures for those that struggle to connect in human relationships.
They help you feel safe. Now taking one look at Teddy, it’s obvious that a burglar wouldn’t be quaking with fear if confronted by her. BUT there is evidence to show that houses where there is clearly a dog are often not targeted. Some breeds of dog do make excellent guard dogs.
I am looking forward to sharing so many adventures with Teddy - her first trip outside, meeting other dogs for the first time and hopefully many more years of snuggles.
