Benefits of Owning a Dog

Growing up, my sister and I could never get a dog or a cat because my mom has severe allergies. It didn’t really bother me (I’d prefer that my mom breathe comfortably in her own home), but it always puzzled me how my friends with pets could call their dog, cat, iguana, guinea pig their best friend. Enter this post. I would like to introduce to you all the apple of my eye: Jacey Cooper (pictured above and throughout the post). While I got to borrow Jacey from Tucker’s family for a year, I have never come to love another being so quickly. If you are curious about owning a dog and have the means to do so, I highly urge you to do so. Here are all of the benefits I’ve seen in just a short year of having a dog.

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A Calming Presence. As you can tell from the photos, Jacey is a little doggie, which means he has tons of energy. Despite his sudden bursts of energy, I found something very calming about being around him. After the worst day or getting a bad grade or realizing we don’t have milk (on some days, that can be a very big deal), I could forget all of my problems and play catch with Jacey and occasionally rub his teeny belly. After 15 or 20 minutes of doing this and receiving Jacey kisses, I would feel much calmer and like I could move on from whatever was making me feel upset.

A Travel Buddy. As seen in the first picture in this post, Jacey loves being in the car and boy, do I love having him in the car. Most days, he wants to peek his head through the window and smell all of the worldly smells, but almost just as often, he is completely content taking a nap on my lap. I find it especially funny to see him react to other drivers or, better yet, other dogs.

A Snuggle Buddy. This is perhaps my second favorite part about having Jacey with me this last year. Whether I’m spending time on the couch doing homework or getting ready in the morning, having Jacey sit by my feet or snuggle into my legs made me so happy. I can only imagine how hot big dogs get because for as teeny as Jacey is, he sure kicks off a lot of heat once he snuggles up to you. Comforting, sweet and all-round adorable, Jacey snuggles and naps melted my heart a little bit more each day.

Now, my absolute favorite part of my precious year with my Jacey Cooper, the feeling of being constantly needed. Let me preface this by saying that of course, Tucker and I need each other, but we are both adults and can (usually) take care of ourself for the most part. Jacey on the other hand needed me for food, to go outside, to play with him – I loved it. Maybe it’s the mama within me, but there was nothing I wanted to do more than to help him however he needed me. My favorite situation was when we would be playing and his toy would get stuck on the cabinet or end up in the garbage can, somewhere he couldn’t reach, and he would scurry back over to me, sit down and tilt his head in a way that just screamed, “Mom, I need help.”

I miss my Jacey Cooper immensely every day and it’s been very hard to not have him this last week – I can’t imagine how the next year will go. If you have a dog or have ever had a dog, I would love to hear your stories, see pictures – anything.

What’s your favorite part about having a pet?