My Office Dog
This post is dedicated to Boomer, aka Buddy, who has been my devoted office dog since I started my business in 2007. I figure I owe him after all the hours he’s spent at my feet while I work. Although, lately, he’s been getting impatient and starts jabbing my elbow with his wet nose about 45 minutes into my work session. So we take a break for a few minutes and then we return for another session. I feel I have to be patient with him; after all, he’s spent the past 12 years of his life following me from room to room when I’m home, waiting for hours by the front door when I’m away, sitting up with me at night when I went through a long period of chronic insomnia, lying by my side when I was ill, and coming near to check on me when I cry.
And just so she doesn’t feel left out, below is Ember, aka Sweetums. She’s an adorable HSP (Highly Sensitive Pet) who mistakes the look of concentration I wear while I’m working to mean that I’m upset, and so runs out the back door as soon as I sit at my desk and stays on the patio just outside my window until I shut down my PC.
Experts say that owning a pet will reduce your stress, alleviate depression, and help you live longer. I think people can be divided into three groups–those that love animals, those that don’t love them, and those that are indifferent. If someone doesn’t love animals, or if they feel indifferent towards them, I’d never suggest to them that they get a pet to reduce their stress/improve their health. We’ve been through some pretty stressful times thanks to the dogs we”ve owned! Boomer and Ember are both former shelter dogs and came with, well, issues. We went through an especially trying time with Ember as she went through her terrible twos. The word stressed doesn’t adequately describe how we felt when we came home and found she had torn the Lazyboy recliner apart. Or the time she destroyed one of the sofa cushions. Or her interior designer period, during which she systematically pulled the top layer of paint and paper off the sheetrock in our entryway. You get the picture.
We’d have several thousand more dollars in our savings if it hadn’t been for the furniture, walls, and carpets they destroyed and surgeries and meds they required. However, things have calmed down tremendously since those days and now I don’t know what I’d do without these two precious family members.
If you’re considering getting a pet to improve your life, I’d make a couple of suggestions:
- Make sure you like animals. Petsit for a friend for a weekend.
- Know why you want to get a pet. What is the outcome you’d like to achieve, and how will you know when you’ve reached it? For example, I have a really strong need to feel needed. Having dogs made the transition to an empty nest much easier for me.
- Do your research. I’ve never owned a cat, but it’s my understanding that dogs are much more high-maintenance than other types of pets. What type of pet will suit you? How much time do you want to spend caring for your new furry or feathered friend? And once you’ve decided that a dog might be the right addition to your family, research breeds so that you can be sure they’ll fit in with your family.
Owning dogs that are well-behaved and well cared for is not easy; it’s a lot of work. But every time I look at a pair of big brown eyes filled with a look of unconditional love, I realize it’s all been worth it.
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