It’s good not to be alone
Canine (or feline) companionship is a health benefit
Once upon a time, the sacred Hebrew Scriptures say, the Creator’s final touch was to create a human, but it was soon very apparent that a lone human was insufficient: both, in the biblical telling, for the human and for the Creator as well. A partner was created for the benefit of the human and for the divine.
I’ve always found this account in the opening pages of scripture to be primordially telling: humans are by nature intended to be with others. In words attributed to God, Genesis says, “It is not good for [the human] to be alone.” Through the vagaries of life, there are moments when we humans do find ourselves alone: a new job in a new community, the painful break-up of an important relationship, the death of a loved one. As challenging as human relationships can be, it seems that our innate human preference is to be closely connected with at least one other person in our life. Even for introverts, like myself, being alone is no picnic.
In the first months following Claudia’s death I can’t count the number of times friends and other supportive people said to me, in one way or another, “Bart, you really need to get a dog.” They were not wrong, but I had to make sure the timing was right.
It’s not as though I didn’t know the benefits of canine companionship, because throughout most of my life (with the exception of my 20s) I have lived in close proximity with a dog. As a child there were a succession of dogs whom I still remember: Hedi, the German Shepherd who lived with my maternal grandparents; Sallie, the Golden Retriever who lived too short a life with me as a boy; Drake, the imposing but genial Black Labrador who made his home with us as an older child. And then were “my” dogs: Sparky, a fluffy white mixed-breed whose fur was continually billowing, but whose personality was affectionate; Lucky, the Bichon who lived with me for a short time after college, but because of my busy lifestyle needed to be re-homed; Gizmo, the Papillon mix who was the first dog in the family Claudia and I created through adoption; Quin the Retriever/Labrador mix who was our last in Virginia, dying not long before my return to Minnesota; Denali the Shepherd/Akita mix (my youngest son’s dog) who looked ferocious but is gentle; and now Otis the Maltese/Shih-Tzu puppy who has occupied my life for nearly five months.
All that to say that I have always enjoyed dogs and the emotional benefits they provide. In spite of — or perhaps because of — the daily care details they require, my life has been enriched over the years. It is a bit startling to me to realize that Otis may be the last dog I ever have. If he lives as long as most of his hybrid type, I will be nearly eighty years old before his death. All things considered, he could outlive me.
Knowing the wonder and joy of being a pet partner, I shouldn’t have been surprised to read the recent Washington Post article, in which author Steve Petrow1 touts the medical research which shows that pet owners (he specifically speaks of dog ownership, but refers briefly to cat ownership as well) fare much better healthwise than those without pets. In some research, longevity can be increased by more than 20% because one has a pet in his or her life.
Some of the benefits are medical enhancements (better cardiac health), some are social (walking a dog is often a natural opening for a conversation with other humans), some are emotional (having another living thing in one’s home makes one “feel” better).
I didn’t decide to get a puppy because I wanted to be healthier or happier or more connected with others, but I am glad to say that for me it is all three of the above.
Even when Otis clambers over me in a regular, repeated nightly ritual, of over the shoulders, down the chest, across the lap — again and again, with moments to rest in between — even then, I am happy that he is sharing my new life with me.
It is good not to be alone.
Hi Bart. Thanks so much for sharing your story and experiences. Blessings to you.
Good boy, Otis! Good boy!