In January of last year, my boyfriend and I jumped on the bandwagon and adopted a pandemic puppy. We named her Summer (thought it fitting for a golden retriever) and quickly fell in love. She’s like our child — we’ve watched her grow into the stick-loving, ball-chasing, somersaulting, silly, loving,…
Pets and kids are notoriously bad at respecting bedroom boundaries. These big-eyed housemates have been known to claw at doors, swat at exposed body parts, and whine when they’re excluded from intimate activities. I’m thinking of toddlers of course, but this behavior applies to pets as well. Have you ever…
We all feel lonely sometimes—say, when we’re drowning in work and too busy to hang with loved ones, or after a tough breakup from a significant other. This loneliness is often discouraging and, for some, loneliness transforms into depression. Sometimes resolving depression isn’t possible by ourselves, especially when our friends…
For tens of thousands of years humans have been passionate about their fur babies. The deep bonds between Homo sapiens and other animal species seem so common and obvious that they’ve only recently been studied scientifically. So how did we get from throwing food scraps to wolves at the outskirts…
Pets can bring an overwhelming amount of fun, joy, and love to our lives—additionally, they can help to soothe any feelings of loneliness. Dogs, cats, and other pets love their owners unconditionally and in showing this love are able to help us feel happy again. The positive impact doesn’t stop…
We have a huge influence on our dog’s personalities. This, from a Michigan State University study that surveyed over 1,600 dog owners. Researchers asked owners to evaluate their dog’s personalities and answer questions related to the dog’s behavioral history. They also answered questions about their own personalities. The team found…
Before I took my leap of faith and adopted my dog, Mila, I surveyed everyone in my life to see what they thought. Did they think I could handle it? Did they think it was a good idea? Did they think I was ready for the responsibility? The overwhelming answer…
In addition to providing love, support, and companionship, dogs are beneficial to our health and overall wellbeing. When we pet a dog, we form a bond and release the hormone oxytocin, which helps to relieve us of stress and anxiety. Dogs also promote an active lifestyle, which helps us to…
Feeling isolated or forgotten by your loved ones is a terrible feeling, but it’s important to put things into perspective. First, consider why you feel isolated from your friends; then, think about expanding your social circle and also show compassion to the friends with a busy schedule. Once you’ve grounded…
Depression on Halloween? You might be wondering, “Who’s depressed on Halloween?” That’s a good question. The answer: Many people are depressed on Halloween.
