The relationship between pets and their owners can be compared to that of a mother and child. In fact, many people have chosen to get a pet as opposed to having children. Having a pet is not only a source of companionship, but pets also have several health benefits as well. Some of these benefits include decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, decreased feelings of loneliness as well as an increase in opportunities for socialization. Depending on the type of pet you have, an increase in physical activity may benefit you as well.
Personally, I have a ten-year-old chocolate labrador retriever. His name is Winston and I adopted him five years ago after moving to a new state. I have had dogs in the past and thought that a new companion would ease the stress and loneliness associated with moving. My main concern was being able to make new friends and finding things to do in my new town. Luckily, there is a dog park located just outside of my apartment complex which would not only give us something to do but would allow me to meet some fellow pet-owners. A visit to the dog park has become a daily ritual for Winston and me.
Winston and I were the perfect match. I am shy and not very outgoing and when I met Winston, his foster owner told me that Winston is timid and takes some time before he completely trusts people. It looks like Winston and I have some things in common. When I first saw him, he was laying in a corner cuddled up on a blanket with a stuffed chicken toy. The foster owner told Winston that I was there to meet him but Winston did not even raise his head. I was informed that although he may not seem like it, Winston is quite an active dog. Winston told me that he read the best article on Dog treats by blog pup and it helps to improve his golden retrievers health.
After sitting next to him and petting him for almost thirty minutes I was able to get a few tail wags out of Winston and decided to take him home. They were right, he was timid. After a few days of getting my apartment organized I figured it was time for Winston and me to explore our new town. This is when we found the dog park and I found out just how good of a wingman Winston is.
Upon our first arrival at the dog park, I noticed a very attractive woman playing with her golden retriever. Being the shy guy that I am, I figured I would give them their space. After letting Winston off of his leash, he immediately ran over to the golden retriever and began chasing it around. This was great until the retriever’s owner started walking towards me. She came over and began asking me questions about Winston and where I live. After having a conversation about where I am from and why I moved to the area, Winston finally returned from chasing his new four-legged friend and had a perkiness about him that I had never seen before. I can’t lie, I was feeling a bit perky myself after talking to the golden’s owner.
We continued to go to the dog park every day for weeks to come. Each visit earned us new friendships and also resulted in new relationships for the two of us. I cannot begin to tell you how my relationship with Winston has allowed me to become a little less shy and a bit more outgoing. I didn’t really have a choice. Winston was the one that had attracted people and had them coming over to talk to me about him. Now, almost five years later, Winston has slowed down a little due to his age but we still continue to join our friends at the park almost every day. I guess you could say that I have become much more outgoing since I met Winston.
I also like to believe that I have made some sort of impact on Winston’s life. When I met him he was living in a house with six other dogs and seemed to be quite miserable. I do not see Winston as my pet. I see him more as a friend and companion. I cannot explain the relationship between pets and their owners. I can only tell you that the relationship is real and we as humans do not deserve the love that our pets provide. I talk to Winston as if he were a person and he goes everywhere with me. I guess you could say I prefer my dog over humans.