Dogs, whether they are specially trained for therapy or are simply playful housemates, have a significant positive impact on people’s lives because they sense when we need affection.
Just 10 minutes spent in the company of a dog can reduce patients’ pain, according to the latest research in the field, cited by Colleen Dell, coordinating professor at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. The research was focused around the benefits that a quadruped brings to the lives of people who are grieving after the death of a loved one.
Most of the time, people cannot easily express themselves about the hardships they go through when they are going through an affliction. And the pain after the death of a loved one manifests itself differently for each of us. This also means that others do not know how to help a sufferer, notes CNN.
The perfect mission for a puppy? Embrace without expectations
In such situations, dogs can step in and offer support and love, says Colleen Dell. As a rule, after an unfortunate event, family and friends should be present to hug and listen without talking too much. But the mission also seems perfect for a puppy who, thankfully, doesn’t judge or have other expectations.
And when a dog owner has developed a close relationship with their four-legged friend, they can often sense their human’s emotions. Specifically, the animal knows when it is time to hug its owner.
Many people who have lost a loved one have confessed that when they return to an empty house after a busy day they are overcome with grief. Here, a dog can make a difference.
“Getting out of bed and going for a quad ride when you’re in pain is incredibly difficult. Dogs know very well how to live in the present and that helps us too. It helps us stop thinking about the past – and not too much about the future. All they want is to go outside for a walk now and they want to play now too,” the researcher explained.
The decision to adopt a dog must be weighed
However, if we are going through a pain and would like a non-speaker to be our hope support in these moments, there are certain factors that we need to think about before making a decision.
Dell points out that it is important to think about how the four-legged friend would fit into our lives and how our existence would be with a new presence in the home.
“The relationship we have with an animal is very different from the one we have with humans. There are many good parts, but there are also disadvantages,” the quoted source pointed out.
Adopting a dog can turn into a win-win situation, but it helps a lot to do our homework and find the solution that suits us before we bring a puppy into our home, points out Colleen Dell .