3 Ways a Dog Can Help With Your Depression

If you are clinically depressed, it’s normal for you to feel lonely all the time, especially when you are by yourself at home, late at night.

While depressed people typically find distractions such as socializing, watching movies, and reading books to get them through the days, none of these methods are nearly as successful as keeping a dog in the house.

Here are 3 ways dogs can help you cope with your depression.

1.     Dogs Are a Source of Unconditional Love

Perhaps the best thing about pets is that, unlike humans, they don’t have many opinions to offer. All they have is love, love, and more love!

For example, let’s say on one particular night, when you feel extremely depressed, you decide to call one of your closest friends to your house for dinner.

Let’s say that during dinner, you begin to slowly confide in them about how you’ve been feeling lately, in search of a little bit of love and support.

The problem with humans is that they often think they know everything, and many of them are solution-oriented by nature.

So let’s say after you on your heart out to your friend, she gives you a speech about just how ungrateful you’re being and that there are people out there who have it so much worse.

In no way is this going to make you feel better. In fact, if anything, you’re probably left feeling far worse than you were feeling before and after your friend leaves when you’re by yourself again, you start feeling guilty, in addition to all the things you were already feeling.

Humans can be insensitive and lack empathy, even when they aren’t trying to do so. Your friend probably didn’t mean to come off as insensitive, but she did!

The best thing about dogs is that they have no opinions to offer you!

So when you’re feeling alone and sad, all you need to do is snuggle up with your pup and you will most likely feel a hundred times better.

Your dog friend will love you even on your worst days. This is probably why a dog is often referred to as man’s best friend.

2.     A Dog Distracts You in Ways Nothing Else Can

Clinical Depression is a chronic condition that may stay with you as long as you live. While there are ways of managing it on a day-to-day basis, there is no actual cure.

Psychologists often recommend distracting yourself when you begin to feel these depressive episodes take over.

There are many ways you can distract yourself. You can read a book, watch your favorite Television show, go shopping with your girlfriends, etc.

One of the best ways you can distract yourself is with your pup.

In fact, your pup is like a walking-talking distraction!

Dogs tend to be overly active most of the time. They demand your attention at all times; they want you to play with them and to love them.

In fact, sometimes playing with your dog can be so entertaining that you may forget any other troubles and any other concerns you may have had!

So the next time you feel trapped inside your head, with the sinking feeling that nothing is going to get better and that life will always be full of sorrow, get busy playing with your pup!

Before you know it, your pup will be breathing in your face, and you will forget about all that was bothering you before.

3.     Dogs Change Your Behavior for the Better

When you’re depressed, you are often likely to adjust yourself to a routine that may not necessarily be the healthiest.

For example, you may sleep most of the day, forget to eat because you feel too tired to cook meals, don’t shower, don’t clean up your house, etc.

When you make the decision to adopt a dog, you are taking upon yourself the responsibility of caring for another living creature.

Essentially, adopting a dog is similar to adopting a human child. Just as a child forces you to give up the routine that you are used to, as does a dog.

When you have depression, it is important that you break through unhealthy routine and get rid of unhealthy coping mechanisms, and replace these by more responsible thought and actions.

When you adopt a dog, whether you like it or not, you will have to make certain lifestyle adjustments. For example, if you were too lazy or too tired to feed yourself and would go for days without a proper meal, you can’t do the same as far as your dog is concerned.

You will have to make sure that your pup gets roper food, that he gets showers routinely, that he gets enough exercise, etc., even if you aren’t getting any of these things!

Caring for your pup and taking care of all of these little things will keep your mind pre-occupied. Instead of spending your days in bed, pitying yourself, you will be forced to get out of bed, make breakfast, and shower so that you are ready to take care of your pup!

A dog can make you more responsible and, in doing so, can take your mind away from all the things that you perceive to be going wrong in your life!

These were 3 ways in which dogs can help you cope with your depression.

So whether you are clinically depressed or even just down in the dumps lately, your pup can really help. Remember, medicines won’t work unless you make an active effort to get better, and a pup can surely help you along the way!


by Bobby J Davidson || You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it™

Facts About Animal Homelessness:

  1. Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.
  2. The main reasons animals are in shelters: owners give them up, or animal control finds them on the street.
  3. Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes. Act as a publicist for your local shelter so pets can find homes. Sign up for Shelter Pet PR.
  4. Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.
  5. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2% of cats and only 15 to 20% of dogs are returned to their owners.
  6. 25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.
  7. About twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to the number that are relinquished by their owners.
  8. It’s impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States. Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.
  9. Only 10% of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. Overpopulation, due to owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce, sees millions of these “excess” animals killed annually.
  10. Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.
  11. According to The Humane Society, there are about 3,500 brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the US and 10,000 rescue groups and animal sanctuaries in North America.

Here are a some adoptions for consideration:  puccicafe.com/adoptions