I'm Walkin
This post is dedicated to the memory of my dad who would have been 79 years old today.
At the beginning of 2012, my post was entitled, “Control Your Core, Or It Will Kill You”. The major theme was to encourage you to get moving . In other words-EXERCISE! Well, I told you in the post what I was doing. Now I would like to share an update. After the passing of both parents within a little more than a year apart, I had the distinct pleasure of acquiring their dog. He is a nine pound silky terrier (Silky). Silky is not his real name but that is how I will refer to him in this post. He was predominately raised around people, and loves being the center of attention. Throughout most of my life I have grown up with dogs-Pekingese, Poodles, Pomeranians, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, just to name a few. So, I guess you can say I am a “dog lover”. However, the loss of my last dog was traumatic enough to vow never to get attached to another dog. There is a saying, “Never say never”. Sometimes the things we don’t want in life, turn out to be the best things for us! Remember how your parents use to make you eat vegetables when you were little? As it turns out, vegetables are the best foods for us to eat! As for Silky, he has been a source of comfort to the family, especially during our time of bereavement. While at the same time, being a wonderful bundle of joy!
Now that I have become attached to Silky, the two of us have started walking in our neighborhood twice a day, morning and evening. We walk around the block for about 25 minutes that is, if my dog decides to take his time. But we can do it in about 20 minutes walking briskly. That is about 40-50 minutes per day. You are probably thinking “that is real easy”. Well, the street has an incline similar to walking up a hill. I have watched people take breaks because they are literally out of breath walking up that incline. At first, it was a challenge for me and Silky but for three months, at least five days per week we did it. I can not tell if I have lost weight but I certainly feel better and I sleep well at night. When I don’t feel like walking, guess who makes me? Right-My dog. Silky is conditioned and he looks forward to his daily walk. By the way, walking can help prevent dreadful illnesses such as: cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Check this out:
I found another wonderful article written by Jane Warren. She shares 5 Surprising Ways Dogs Improve Human Health and she expounds on walking and a few other things. At the end of the article, there is an inspirational message and a video by the group Mary, Mary.
Enjoy…
5 Surprising Ways Dogs
Improve Human Health
We all know that a dog is man’s (and woman’s) best friend, but numerous scientific studies have also proven that dogs can improve human health. There’s no surprise here. Humans and dogs have been working together for thousands of years, and some scientists even believe the two species have evolved to live with one another. While having a pet will not improve your health if you never wanted a pet in the first place, animal lovers can reap numerous benefits from living with animals.
Dogs Encourage More Exercise
Most of us know the benefits of exercise, but it can be a struggle to find the incentive to get up and get moving every day. A dog provides strong motivation, and can make your daily walk or run less lonely and more fun. Moreover, you’ll burn extra calories when helping your dog walk on a leash and doing brief training exercises with your dog. For some people, going for walks alone is scary, but the additional security of a canine exercise buddy can make runs and walks feel more secure. I know that with Ranger, I have to walk him every day, and he’s always ready each morning, so morning time it is! Sometimes we even squeeze in an afternoon or early evening walk, which is better for my health. See the information in this study on pets and our health done by the National Institute of Health.
Dogs Help With Stress Relief
There’s no doubt that dog ownership does come with some stresses, from making sure you’ve applied their monthly frontline for fleas to worrying if your dog will get along with the other dogs at the dog park. But the benefits of pet ownership more than outweigh these minor stresses. Research shows that a few minutes spent petting an animal lowers blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol contributes to fatigue, weight gain and aging, and your pet can help counteract its negative effects. A few minutes playing with your dog every day also releases endorphins, powerful “feel-good” hormones that continue to function in the bloodstream long after the playtime ends.
Dogs Give A Sense of Safety
Many people living alone worry about intruders and burglars, and a dog can help give owners a sense of security. Burglars are less likely to break into a house with a barking dog, and your dog can help you feel less lonely whether you’re just spending the night by yourself or living alone long-term. If your dog is older and struggles to move around, you can still rest easy knowing that your dog will get to an intruder before you do. If the dog needs access to higher surfaces, you can invest in a pet studio dog ramp to make it easier for your dog to be visible and see outside.
Dogs Generate Social Interaction With Others
People who have regular positive interactions with others tend to live longer and be happier, and pets provide you with a valuable opportunity to meet and interact with other people. Even if you’re shy, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with another person if you’re both talking about your animals. Trips to the vet, the dog park, and meet up with other pet owners also provide pet owners with easy and substantive opportunities for interactions. If you’re still anxious about meeting new people, consider joining a message board or online group for people with similar pets to yours. You’ll quickly find yourself making new friends in addition to learning a lot about your best friend–your pet!
Dogs Help With Better Mental Health
In a fast-paced, high-stress world, mental health diagnoses such as depression and anxiety are at an all-time high. But pet owners have fewer mental illnesses, and animals are even used as therapy for people suffering from mental illness. If you struggle with depression, an animal can help you avoid dwelling on your problems. The exercise and stress release you get from spending time with your pet may even reverse the effects of depression. Dog owners are also substantially less stressed than people who don’t own dogs, and reduced stress is strongly correlated with lower blood pressure, a longer life span, greater happiness, and improved health. So, if you don’t own a pet, and want to make some positive changes in your life, go to a local animal shelter or humane society, and find your next best friend today. You’ll both enjoy a healthier lifestyle!
I agree with Jane. You will enjoy a healthier lifestyle. I always try to provide something inspirational from my favorite book-The Bible. The following web link talks about how dogs are considered to be God's Messengers in the Bible There are actually 40 verses in the Bible that pertain to dogs. Some are giving warnings about how people should live. For other people, a dog is the last thing that they will see before their life ends.
Philippians 3:2
“Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh”. Life is full of two-legged dogs who want to destroy your reputation, your self-esteem, your joy, your courage or just YOU. Here lately, I have dealt with quite a few of those kinds of dogs. But God wants us to be self-controlled and alert because it is not the person that harms you. It is the spirit within them.
I Peter 5:8 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. The bottom line is that everything is going to work out in the end. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” My dad loved quoting Romans 8:28. It was his favorite! It is comforting to know that God has given us dogs to comfort, bring us joy, warn, and protect us just as He does through His Word.
References
Jane Wamen, http://www.pamperthepets.com
What are your thoughts about this post?
Comments
Keep encouraging us with your daily journeys in life and ALWAYS remember that God will see you through.
Dr D
the post was a very powerful post in the sense that such a small thing like walking can make such a huge difference. it's great how it then relates to an animal like the dog. i agree with the fact that if you have a dog you would be more active and also by how it can work therapeutically by just petting the dog and helping one with life.
I truly enjoyed reading your post, specially the bible sections Peter 5:8 in spanish we say "No ay mal que por bien no benga" - theres not bad without good.
I can relate to this post because I had a dog that was very close to me named Duquesa,when i was having a bad day at work or school I would look forward on going home because i knew she was going to be there. I thank God that she lived a total of 16 years. She got me threw elementary, middle school and high school
I really liked how you linked the bible with your post and i really like the quote by Romans 8:28
I agree that dog ownership has many benefits, one being exercise. I used to have a husky. I would take walks with her in the morning and run with her at night after work. I found that the morning walks would jump start my day by getting outside, raising my heartrate and being really alert prior to starting work. At night it was good to run with her and let go of the stress that comes with a job. I knew that I had to make sure she was getting her needs met daily as well as a healthy lifestyle.
-Alexis Manzo
-Ninibeth Silva
--Danielle Baeza
P.Duong
-A.H.
Being a Cat person, I've always felt my life was improved having my furry feline companions.
Thank you, much needed.
Yasmin P.
I agree with you on this completely. Myself being a dog person, I believe owning a dog has a lot of benefits. I own a poodle myself and I feel very secure sleeping at night because even when cars he does not recognize pull into the drive way, he starts barking so loud and does not stop until I let him know it is alright. I also do not have time to exercise a lot with work and school, and I thought about walking in early afternoon but feel uneasy walking by myself. My dog, named Dodger, is a very good walking partner he makes me sprint so I get more of a work out! Not to mention he shows me so much love and affection. He greets me running up to me when I get home and he lays down next to the door when I am not their. He is so loyal. I understand you did not want to get attached to a dog again after your loss of your previous dog, but it is good that you took a chance on him. You never know how great something can turn out to be! I can relate to that as well when I lost my first puppy when I was younger. I really did enjoy reading this post, since it gives me a better perspective on your life and thank you for sharing your experiences!
This was a very inspirational blog post. There is a lot of good things of owning a dog. For a reason they say a dog is a mans best friend as well as a woman's. You can benefit from helping you exercise, from making you feel secure, protecting you. I myself have a dog, a cocker spaniel mix, names Max he's almost 3 years. Just last year I fell in a depression and just as silly as this may sound being around my dog brought to me a special vibe, I felt at peace when I was with him. I talked to him about what I was going through and that made me feel better, as if my dog understood me, and I believe so because dogs are really smart. He's very protective when strangers come close and when he hears noises he's very alarmed and barks to get our attention until he sees us then he calms down knowing we are ok. He's a very important part of our family. I relate to you on getting attached to a dog and your dog passing and not wanting to get attached to another dog, for the reason that it can happen again and for the reason of feeling like your replacing a dog you just lost, I understand its not a good feeling. I also lost a puppy before Max, I had a puppy named Toby he was a cocker spaniel and he was 7 months and had to put him to sleep because he was born with an illness. It was the hardest thing we've ever had to do.
-Samantha V.
Gerardo H
Julie Hartwell
Nas A.
Michele F :)
As a dog lover and owner of 4 precious and loving dogs I couldn't agree more with the benefits of having them !!
They truly are a blessing !!
Nathalia Alvarez
Thank you for sharing your story,
Maria Marin
September 30, 2013 12:04
Manny Luna
I had a dog that it's name was (Duque)he was my companion for many years; someone killed him and my heart was broken.
Thank you,
Mario Marin
9/30/2013
Sadalah Shehadi (forgot to put my name on the first one sorry)!
I agree that sometimes the things we don't want in life, turn out to be the best things for us. This is why God promises and gives us Romans 8:28...And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose. This is one of my favorite bible versus too.
PS: The MARY MARY video was perfect for this article...
Brenda W
I couldn't agree more with you about the reasons why we should not overuse sugar.
Thank you for the healthy alternative substitutions that you posted !!
Nathalia A.
I am not a dog owner but I love pets. And completely agree with dogs relieving stress. My sister’s dogs are like mine. I wake up every morning and go to bed every night greeting them. I feel so much happier seeing their jumpy, cheery self in the mornings when I say hi. Complete boost of energy and joy I get from them, makes my morning and day start great.
D.Y.
-Jasmine Schnurpel
- Janack Wong
L. R. Martinez
One of my favorites is Matthew 6:33.
L. R. Martinez
KS118
-Rayna Dratch
Also, this article reminds me about my old dog. She and my family spent 17 years with her, and we created many great memories together. She passed away a few months ago, and my mother was very sad about this. I think we might have a new dog because there are so many benefits to having a dog.
Felicia Trujillo
I admire your strength! I couldn't agree more. Dogs are amazing and are a great source to lift our spirits. They are always happy to see us no matter what. They don't judge us. In fact, they love us unconditionally and I can see exactly what role Silky plays in your life. He is an earth angel. Thank you for being GREAT Dr. D! AS
Thank you for sharing your story,
Dat D.
-
K.D
When I am feeling down and , weary and I can barely lift myself off the couch, my dog comes to my rescue. They cuddles with me, then motivates me to get up, dressed, and out the door for a walk or some play time. Somehow my fur-baby even gets me to smile, no matter how miserable or stressed I feel.
I am not alone. It turns out that all pets, not just therapy pets, can help your mind, body, and spirit. I will also consider new ways to keep healthy myself; living a healthier lifestyle will allow me to live happy
When I am feeling down and , weary and I can barely lift myself off the couch, my dog comes to my rescue. They cuddles with me, then motivates me to get up, dressed, and out the door for a walk or some play time. Somehow my fur-baby even gets me to smile, no matter how miserable or stressed I feel.
I am not alone. It turns out that all pets, not just therapy pets, can help your mind, body, and spirit. I will also consider new ways to keep healthy myself; living a healthier lifestyle will allow me to live happy
Nhu Nguyen
DRD
It’s always hard to lose a pet but as a pet owner that is what we all will eventually have to face. I think it would be a good idea for us to move on and getting another one will cheer us up. Because, having faith that whatever happens experience in life for a good reason and try to avoiding things that makes us emotional is very important and nice move. That way we can see the best out of it when we accept the change. Because, sometimes the things we don’t want in life, turns out to be the best things for us.
S. Gordon
K.P.
I heard about canine therapy (healing with animals) and people confirm that animals especially dogs help so much with dealing with psychological distress and even Alzheimer's. And this article is a very good example of it.
Thank you for sharing.
Violetta Yanchevskaya
I truly agree with this post because I used to have a dog his name was prince he made me get up every morning to take him for a walk. I was so used to it and programed to take him out in the morning. He love laying next to me and it was relaxing he was my child. He ran away a year ago and I don't feel the same. Dogs are therapeutic because in the hospital they bring them to the pediatric patients for healing. this post was amazing.
R.B
First I want to start off with my condolences of losing a parent. Also, your strength as woman. Dogs absolutely have a gift to lift our mood but also pushes us to want better or to do tasks that we would not want to do. I myself have a dog who loves on me but also reminds me to remain calm and patient.
-JW
E.R