pet connection

All of this talk of the holidays and pet allergies and whether to bring dogs to holiday events–plus the fact that I’m writing a chapter on psychotherapists who have canine assistants (and procrastinating by blogging this)–reminds me of just how great dogs are at helping us cope in stressful situations, even in a nonprofessional setting. A year and a half ago, we went to Oklahoma with the hope of persuading my mother-in-law to move to Louisville so she could be closer to her daughter and granddaughter. For several of us, Louisville or nearby Indianapolis, where our niece and her husband live, is the preferred gathering place for the holidays, and we’d like to see Wanda get settled there while she is still healthy and able. We all worry about her not having any relatives in the area in case she falls or has some other health problem, especially when Oklahoma is having a severe winter, like it is now.

My brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and her husband, my niece and her husband, and Jerry and I all flew to Oklahoma to discuss the possibility with Wanda and help her clear some things out of her house. Harper was only 6 months old then, and I brought her along for some advanced socialization: an airplane ride, thunderstorms, staying in a different house, meeting lots of new people. What we got, I think, was some advanced canine therapy.

Now, all of Harper’s new acquaintances on that trip tolerate–and in some cases even like–dogs, but certainly not to the extent that we do. There was no objection to Harper’s presence, and I crossed my fingers that she wouldn’t have any housetraining accidents in Wanda’s house, because that definitely wouldn’t have gone over well.

I didn’t need to worry. Not only did she behave perfectly and charm everyone, she acted as a source of tension relief. Any time things got stressful, there was Harper to be walked, Harper to throw a ball for, Harper to feed, Harper to pet. Her presence was a natural barrier to rising voices.

By the time we left, her visit had been declared an unqualified success. In most respects, anyway. Wanda is still in Oklahoma. Maybe it’s time for me to get a Pyr Shep and take her to the red-dirt state. I bet Wanda would be in Louisville in no time.

Gratuitous Cavalier blogging: Yesterday was our monthly park play day. Above,  Harper is visiting with Freddy, who admires her greatly. In the photo she’s being sweet, but I was pleased to see that she has developed the confidence to tell him off when she’s had enough of his attentions.

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