You know, we’re kind of living in a time where it seems like a nightmare has come to life. There are many of us who don’t know when we will be able to go back to work, or have been laid off and need to find another job. For the most part, a lot of us are stuck at home as we social distance from loved ones. It’s hard to deal with, but I’ve seen one positive thing come from this: I get to spend more time with my dog, Damian.
It’s a small positive, but I’m pretty sure that Damian is very happy to have me be at home more than I ever was before all this Corona stuff happened. He gets a little anxious when I’m gone, and that happens pretty often because I am in college and I have to work so that I can pay for things. Now, he’s never home alone between my sisters, my parents, and my grandmother, but that doesn’t make leaving him any easier.
Even though life is rough and unpredictable right now, I’m grateful that I get to be home with him. He’s the love of my life. Here’s why.
Damian is Making Sure I Get Outside and Exercise
It would probably be easy for me to justify staying inside and binge watching every show that I need to catch up on right now. However, when dogs don’t get taken out, they poop and pee in the house, and that isn’t so pleasant. Luckily, I’ve trained Damian well enough that he doesn’t do that unless I keep him inside for too long.
When I take him out, it usually goes beyond the bathroom break. I’ve always put forward the effort to take him around the neighborhood, whether it’s a 15 minute around the block, or about an hour through the neighborhood. No matter what the length of the walk is, walking is beneficial to your health because you’re burning calories, it helps your heart health, and more.
For me, I was experiencing some serious hip pain for a while. When I talked to my doctor about it, she said it was because I wasn’t stretching my body enough and that I needed to be more active. Since she said that, I’ve made sure to carve out time to walk with Damian in my schedule, and I haven’t felt that hip pain since. Damian is extra happy that we get to spend that time together.
Damian Helps Me Unwind
With all the uncertainty, it’s easy to stress, but I think I stressed before this quarantine stuff too. There is always that pressure to do well in school, and work and paying bills isn’t actually a walk in the park (see what I did there). Damian is magical in that he has this superpower to take me away from it all.
If it weren’t for Damian, I am not sure I would be as healthy as I am now. I used to have a habit of burying myself in my work when I got stressed out. That lead to higher levels of stress, and countless nights without sleep. That, and exercise didn’t matter to me so much. I’m a better person since I’ve adopted Damian.
He’s silly and playful, which reminds me of how fun life can be. Damian also won’t go to bed until I go to bed, so when it’s really late and I’m at my work station, him whimpering at me with puppy-dog eyes is enough to tell me that its time for bed.
Damian Provides Real, Unconditional Love
There is no love more pure than the love that comes from a dog. It’s something I’ve never had to question if it was real, or if I deserved it, or if an ulterior motive existed. Once you’ve bonded with your dog, it just loves you, plain and simple.
Damian is no different. He runs to the window the second that my car pulls into the garage. When I walk through the door, he is waiting right there. He immediately leaps at me, begging for attention, distracting me from the worries of the day.
No matter what happens, I know that I’ll have him for a while, and I appreciate that I can rely on that. Knowing that I can give him the same love he has given me has also made me very happy.
Some Last Words…
Now, I know that times are unpredictable in terms of the future and income, but if you’re alone and feeling lonely and not allergic, I would recommend fostering a dog for the short term. Or, if you’re looking for something for the long term, adopting a dog.
This is a good time because I know some people are really struggling with social distancing right now, because they feel isolated and lonely. Dogs currently aren’t a concern when it comes to transmitting the COVID-19 virus, and even then, they aren’t really affected by the disease (check out this article for more).
If you’re looking to adopt a dog, fostering gives you the chance to see how a dog (or any animal) could fit into your life, along with giving you a good chance to learning the animal’s mannerisms. Even if you’re just looking to temporarily foster a dog, it’ll be good for them to get out of the shelter and have some interaction.
It may seem like I’ve pushing someone’s agenda, but this is not a sponsored post. At the end of the day, I want to try and make this time a little bit easier if I can. I also to help people find the same happiness I found with Damian. That is all.
Here are some organizations to consider if you’re thinking you want to foster a dog:
- PACT for Animals: This organization is strictly if you want to foster an animal. If you’re looking to adopt, do not go here, because these animals belong to hospital patients and military personnel who cannot currently be with their animals. These animals only need temporary homes until their owners can come back for them.
- Maddie’s Fund
- Best Friend’s Animal Society
Do you have a dog? What is your favorite thing about your pet? Is there something that is helping you stay sane during social distancing?
I hope that you’re staying safe and healthy. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog today. If you enjoyed what you read, feel free to help me out by liking, sharing, and subscribing to the blog.
Love Always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 