“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
Dogs, you either love them are you don’t. They’re always in your face, their breathe smells, and they get into everything that you leave unsupervised. But even so, they bring so much joy (for us dog lovers) and make life so much more enjoyable. My family has always had a dog, I feel as if we would systematically combust if there wasn’t a dog in the house. There was Max, our german shepard, who could play fetch for hours. There was Buddy, our golden retriever, who suffered from skin allergies, extreme ADHD, and separation anxiety. He chewed holes in the dry wall, and did not become remotely calm until age 8. He might have been a complete pest, he sure made sure his scent was throughly rubbed into my carpet but boy did I love that dog. I think we tend to forget that our dog will not grow old with us, in fact they leave us sooner than we anticipate and were left heart broken.
Dogs in my opinion are therapeutic, they help with depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental illnesses.Back in the spring of 2013, my brother had a huge anxiety attack, he was depressed for days and would call me crying, telling me that he missed me and that he wanted to come home. I felt helpless, distraught because I couldn’t help the one person who has been by my side since the beginning. He told me he felt empty, alone and that he needed something to keep him company. My parents as well as I knew that we needed a dog. We needed a furry friend to fill thee hole in my brothers heart.
That is why my dog Lucy is such a huge blessing. Over the summer my cousin was getting married in Dillon, Montana. Its the middle of nowhere. No internet, no cell phone reception, and a limited amount of television channels. But it didn’t matter because his dog (a Llewellin Setter) just had puppies. I went over to the box were the puppies were being held, and picked up the smallest puppy of the litter. She looked into my eyes, and i looked into hers, and I knew from that moment, that she was mine. She was small, so mellow, and I couldn't put her down. I was attached, hooked, that dog was mine. My brother, Luke, on the other hand had a little trouble warming up to her. He had the impression that the dog we were going to pick was going to be a boy, but that wasn’t the case. He’s 16, and is stuck in a horrendous teenage phase. After a few hours I sat down on the couch right next to Luke with Lucy in my arms. I put her in his lap and just waited, because I knew it was only a matter of time before he fell in love with her as well. 30 seconds later, her picked her up and cradled her in his arms. “Leah she’s so little!.. Look at my little baby!” he was hooked, I knew it would happen.
Lucy is now 6 months old, and she and my brother have the most unique and pure friendship that could happen between man and dog. She’s the biggest drama queen and howls whenever she doesn’t get her way. Lucy has to be constantly snuggling with someone, and if she’s not, she’ll back excessively until someone sits next to her. She’s somewhat obnoxious and does not respond well to the word “no”. She’s climbed on top of the dining room table, eaten my fathers birthday cake, and knocked over and broke my mothers crystal candle holders. She licks the plates that are placed in the dish washer, and takes us on walks, rather than us taking her one. Though she is a pain, she is also one of the sweetest dogs I have ever come across, and mi proud to call her my own. Lucy has brought joy and peace back into my home. My brother is almost back to his normal self, excelling in everything he does. He’s happy, and I know its because of Lucy.
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