Pets and Emotions

When I'm terribly upset which is rare - my dog Rapunzel of the golden tresses wears a ears-up look one can only describe as anxious. Sometimes she even comes over to me and gives my face a reassuring lick. Sure, we all know that pets learn to understand commands and phrases, but have we stopped to think that listening to us speak every day they may have learned much more?

If only they could talk back!

Tension in the house among family members can make my dogs pee on the furniture. It's not just about establishing territorial rights in the presence of a strange dog I might pick up from the street.

When Pets Get Destructive
Dr. Richard Pitcairn, an experienced vet believes that pets do turn destructive and aggressive in the presence of conflict at home. They can even become sick or the sicknesses they already suffer from may become worse with the constant stress.

On the other hand, when there's peace and quiet in the home, pets will respond accordingly. You may
notice that they play and frisk around more often and you can tell just by the way they sprawl on the floor and look at you with love, how content they really are.

Pets Can Take on the Illnesses of their Owners
According to Dr Pitcairn, we must not allow our anxiety to show when our pets fall sick as this emotion transmutes easily to them and makes them worse. He suggests we adopt positive thinking and makes the
strange observation that pets often take on the illnesses of their owners! This may very well be because of their deep bond with their owners.

A friend who was recently diagnosed with a slightly damaged liver has an old mongrel as a pet. Four months after the diagnosis, the mongrel has developed liver problems. It makes one wonder.

They are much like us, our pets. They mourn their dead, dote on their young, worry like we do and leap up at the mention of a romp on the farm. They stick their heads out from car windows so the wind can
ruffle up their hair and take their breath away. They enjoy soft music and sometimes even dare to sing along.

And unlike humans, they can tell when you're leaving for a holiday even before you begin to pack, and they even know when you're coming back. A beloved dog I had reluctantly given away to a family of dog lovers knew I was on my way to pay him a visit after a couple of years of separation. He was up at the gate, barking and wagging even while I was still out of sight.

Come to think of it, I saw a dog on Discovery Channel perk up his ears and run to the window the
moment his owner stepped out from his office to return home! Imagine if we humans could do that. It would probably save us a frantic phone call or two.