Dog - A Girl's Best Friend

Not sure how many of you have a dog or even a cat, but as you may already know, I have a dog, who name is Chrissie. She is a Rough Collie. This is a picture of Chrissie and I together in the park.
I grew up with dogs and cats and always felt a little empty without one. I decided it was time to have another one. After some investigation into what type of dog would best suit our life style, we decided a Collie would be the best type. It would not be fair to have a dog that required more than we were able to give. I was then fortunate enough to see an advert for a Collie in a local newspaper and decided to have a look. We got Chrissie from a dog rescue place.

I took my daughter with me, which may not have been the best idea, as she wanted to have a puppy. When we came to where Chrissie was being held, Chrissie came over to where I was standing and literally leant herself against me. She made it clear that she had chosen - she wanted to go home with us.

When we moved away to look at other dogs, Chrissie began to bark and cry and continued to do so until we came back to her. Needless to say she won. We took her home and I've never regretted having her. She is wonderfully patient with the girls and would be terribly difficult to replace.

For me the most wonderful thing about Chrissie is that she has decided that I am hers. I don't think animals, especially Cats think they belong to us. I think for them its the other way round. However, back to Chrissie. She always seems to know when I'm tired, a little down hearted or in need of a walk. She never allows me to sit on my laurels. She'll push at me with her long, cold nose until I respond to her. She has a way of getting me out of myself and paying more attention to the world around me.

With Chrissie, I am encouraged to do something new each day. She will not allow me to sit on my own for too long. She will make me do something. It may just be reading a new book in the garden or writing down an idea that has popped up in my head. It may even be making a new card or painting a picture, taking some time out to go for a walk to clear my head or listening to the birds singing, throwing a ball or running to get some exercise. As long as I'm doing something, she's fine.

My little best friend Chrissie, is the one who stops me from (if I should ever be persuaded to do so) wallowing in self pity or even self centredness. Having others in your life, even an animal seems to help most people refocus themselves. It has been proven that just stroking animals can help people in hospitals to recover more quickly, become more calm and reduce their stress levels. This has even been a benefit for older people in their homes.

Having animals in our household has helped our children to learn about looking after others, being responsible for someone else, thinking about the fact that someone else needs to be fed, washed, brushed, played with and exercised. These are excellent lessons for younger people and will help them, I'm sure, in there future lives.

For our family sharing our lives with our dog Chrissie and cat Fluff is only part of the beginnings of the journey into personal development. I agree that having an animal is not right for everyone, but this works for us. Have you found something that works for you?