a puppy licking your face

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”

-Ben Williams, author of Surviving Terminal Cancer

Image from Flickr by Kevin Stanchfield

Image from Flickr by Kevin Stanchfield

Over the past few years I’ve come to more fully appreciate the miraculous power of the dog to brighten people’s days. No other animal conveys the loyalty, devotion, and unconditional acceptance and love we get from a dog. Some of their other remarkable qualities are:

  • They help us live healthier, longer lives by the exercise we get in walking them.
  • They reduce stress and support greater well-being.
  • They can improve your social life! People can’t resist stopping to visit with someone with a lovable dog.
  • Caring for dogs helps relieves symptoms of depression and encourages people to be more positive.
  • Dogs have proven invaluable to the elderly by providing companionship and reducing stress.
  • Having a dog makes you safer. They act as a supplemental security system.

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully appreciate and benefit from our furry friends even if you don’t currently own one?

How can you exhibit more of the wonderful qualities of a dog to brighten the lives of others? 

(Just don’t lick anyone!)