One year ago, I lost my chihuahua Toby. This was the day I had dreaded from the moment his eyes met mine twelve years before. I was in puppy love and knew my heart would crumble when the time came to say goodbye. And it did. After his passing, I quickly packed up all the dog items and gave the perishable ones to dog owning friends. I didn’t want to see them and my partner and I had decided we were having a doggy break.
Three weeks went by, and the appeal of a break was starting to wear off. There was gaping dog-shaped hole that we had no idea how to fill. Trialling another dog was the only solution we came up with. That trial’s name was Sasha. A little chihuahua who had had a very rough first half to life. She had been brought into the vet in a bad way, originally destined to be put down. Luckily, a wonderful vet team provided her the care she needed, including removing her infected eyes. The vet nurse fostered her until she could find her a new permanent home.
I hoped that home could be ours, but I was nervous. How would she go, navigating a new house blind? Would we connect with her and her with us? Of course, the answer was two resounding yeses. What a little champion! Sasha had our house mapped out within hours and our hearts melted in minutes. We were smiling. Sasha’s tail was wagging. That gaping hole had been patched. Sasha moved in.
A few years prior, I had watched the docuseries called Couples Therapy. This series featured the therapist’s dog, Nico, who was at the therapy sessions with her. He would greet the clients as they entered and then curl up on his bed. I loved the idea, and wished Toby could work with me. Toby was excellent in his role as my kitchen assistant, but probably a bit too anxious and on guard for a therapy assistant. So, I added ‘therapy dog’, to my future wish list.
I suspected my wishes had come true from that first day meeting Sasha. She ticked all the boxes: quiet, calm, affectionate and adorable. I was right, Sasha was a natural. I had imagined her being like Nico, but she exceeded expectations. From the first client, Sasha wanted to be right there on the couch with them. Here she cuddles up and has an uncanny ability to appear like she is following the story. When she senses sadness, she looks up and shows that you don’t need eyes to make eye contact. Just like that a smile emerges on teary eyed faces (and mine). No tissues required; thanks to Sasha my tissue bill has been halved.
Meeting Sasha and watching her in action at work makes me question, are dogs the best therapy? Firstly, I want to clarify Sasha didn’t replace Toby; we still miss him dearly. Instead, Sasha helped ease the grief with her affection, joy and companionship. She provided us with the boost of oxytocin (the love hormone) we were lacking. Sasha also role modelled resilience; she has known hardship but has overcome it and is thriving. We were (and still are) simply in awe of her adaptability. She provided us with hope, and I suspect when she makes her ‘no eyed contact’ with clients, she does the same for them.
If that is not therapeutic enough, like most dogs, Sasha loves her walks. Every morning, she races to the door and performs her happy dance. It’s time for the beach. I can’t think of anything better for the soul than seeing happy dogs on the beach. Walking, outside, in nature with a dog, combines so much of the good stuff. In addition to oxytocin, you will also get an injection of serotonin (feel-good hormone), dopamine (reward hormone), and endorphins (pain-relieving hormone). So, even if you don’t have your own dog to walk, I recommend you frequently go to a dog beach or park, I promise your mood will be lifted.
I could write a novel about the therapeutic nature of dogs. But I suspect, the readers that have gotten this far, already know, dogs are the best. They are the best company, mood lifters, affection providers and exercise motivators. So, what could be better therapy than a dog? Perhaps a dog and human counselling team? As awesome as Sasha is at her job, she struggles asking curious questions and mapping a path to change. She leaves that part to me.
Do you need to talk? Sasha and I are here to listen. You can come and visit us in our Townsville office. Want to add the benefits of nature and exercise? I also offer Walk and Talk sessions, and you can bring your own dog. Reside outside of Townsville? Attend online with your own furry friend.
Book an appointment online today.