Hi, I'm Here Because of Health Care

[bootsykowan]

I was 64YO when I introduced myself to the K-9 world. My own health, it turns out depended on it. The media is starting to agree. So far it's been the right path for me since 1995. I'm so sorry I didn't raise my own kids with dogs. Its been giving me a chance to review parenting in my own life. My kids are in their fifties so we're all getting old together. Two of them have cats.

My Baruch (Spinoza) now is 6YO, a rescued white toy poodle with separation and container anxieties. My original dogs were Bichon Frise/Westie and black toy Poodle. As I grew older, I found that the body structure of the poodle was easier for me to manage than the bichon. So I hope I can discuss here human health together with canine health. I've always wondered how vets who have children and pets and have human doctors too view my kind of thinking. I've never been able to engage my vets. Most breed special forums aren't happy with my approach.

Thank goodness, WebMD now does recognize my POV. I just learned a valuable training trick from their email newsletter which I had the opportunity to practice with my adult kids on Thanksgiving. It was amazing.

 

[Zoom]

Hi and welcome to the forum! A 'late-bloomer' is better than not blooming at all, haha!

I guess I don't quite get what the "issue" is that makes forums unhappy with you? It's been proven that having pets does have health benefits for people, lowering blood pressure, alleviating depression and even seems to speed up healing after surgery or illness.

 

[Dogs6]

Hi and welcome to Chaz

 

[bubbatd]

Welcome from another " oldster " !!

 

[bootsykowan]

Hi and welcome to the forum! A 'late-bloomer' is better than not blooming at all, haha!

I guess I don't quite get what the "issue" is that makes forums unhappy with you? It's been proven that having pets does have health benefits for people, lowering blood pressure, alleviating depression and even seems to speed up healing after surgery or illness.

=====
The times they are achanging Ten years ago lots of Religious folks were dominating the forums I was on, both in US and UK. They were very upset because I compared body parts, dogs and humans. Everything was about doggy heaven and doggy angels. 2009 things the spirit has changed tremendously. I'm even noticing more&more commercials featuring dogs as companions for both males and females.

 

[Island dog]

Welcome to the forum from another 'older' member. Doesn't matter how old we are as long as we're still learning.

Though I'm not religious myself, there are quite a few members of this forum who are, but I wouldn't term them as 'dominating'. My impression is that "it's live and let live", most members basically respecting others beliefs.

It's a good forum.

 

[smkie]

Welcome to Chazhound! I have always been the odd ball in my family. A girl that ran around with a dog or a couple of dogs. THey really didn't understand it at all .I have had the pleasure of seeing at least one brother after his children grew up develop a relationship with canines. THey make me happy, they help my health, the watch my babies, Mary helped raise my children. Taught them all those important things of tenderness, responsibility, to love unconditionally. They make me laugh, help me exercise, fight depression, and keep me warm at night. What could be better than that?
AS far as vets and medical doctors go, i think we are still in the dark ages with a load to learn in both directions.

 

[bootsykowan]

Welcome to Chazhound! I have always been the odd ball in my family. A girl that ran around with a dog or a couple of dogs. THey really didn't understand it at all .I have had the pleasure of seeing at least one brother after his children grew up develop a relationship with canines. THey make me happy, they help my health, the watch my babies, Mary helped raise my children. Taught them all those important things of tenderness, responsibility, to love unconditionally. They make me laugh, help me exercise, fight depression, and keep me warm at night. What could be better than that?
AS far as vets and medical doctors go, i think we are still in the dark ages with a load to learn in both directions.

=====
Now that I've got a dog companion, two of my very adult children have acquired cats. They compete with their cats I guess it shows independence or something. Any way, I can't afford to have more than one pet at the age of 80 in an apartment. However, their attitude is quite educational about the whole pet scene. In fact, I had a neighbor who trivialized little dogs. Living with non-human animals in the human world adds a dimension to human behavior observation. Also my own observations about me.

It might be interesting to know why it took so long for me to get interested in dogs. I became alone for the first time in my life when I was 51YO. Eventually kind folks at work suggested I get a dog. I called up a person I had worked with years ago whose dog knowledge I respected. She told me, if you can't stay home with the dog the first year, don't do it. I really appreciated her advice. Since I was a stay at home mom until my last child entered the first grade, it all made sense. I'm glad I listened to her. When I got my first dog, I was 64YO and retired. He was the bichon/westie produced by a neighbor's dog. He was 7 weeks old and born on my birthday. I was reliving my stay-at-home imom experience. When he was 1 YO, I got a 6 month toy poodle to keep him company. When I raised my kids, I took care not to favor any one. However, this time I deliberately favored my bichon frise. I'd never do that again. I did keep them in crates when I left them alone for a few hours. Otherwise they got along very well.

Thanks to all for sharing. It feels so warm to me.

 

[smkie]

I did 3 years of therapy work with VIctor. He is the white pointer in my siggy. Attended seminars where they talked about all the benefits a dog has for your health. Increases circulation, improves lung function, production of good harmones, decreases depression. That one hour visit with a pet shows the benefits last for hours and hours after wards when compared to a human visitor or no visitor at all, the pets win out hands down. I am glad you have a companion. My mother is 85 now and has two that I help her with since she is seeing impaired. SHe won't sleep with them tho. SHe is always cold and I tell her why don't you let Mr. Shaffer up on the bed! But it's a no go. I would freeze to death if I didn't have one on each side of me. When I was little she would say "now don't let that dog on the bed" as she closed the door. IT wasn't a second later before I called my little dog up and hid her under the blanket. SHe knows not what she is missing. SHe eventually gave up and I have been sleeping with them for 40 years. Happily.

So glad you got to have one from a puppy up. I do agree that a puppy needs someone home for the first year. I do however think you could have adopted an adult dog back then that would have been just fine and dandy while you were at work. THere are many benefits to adopting an adult dog and plenty that need homes that already have the basics of training.

 

[bootsykowan]

Don't know why this got posted don't know how to delete

I did 3 years of therapy work with VIctor. He is the white pointer in my siggy. Attended seminars where they talked about all the benefits a dog has for your health. Increases circulation, improves lung function, production of good harmones, decreases depression. That one hour visit with a pet shows the benefits last for hours and hours after wards when compared to a human visitor or no visitor at all, the pets win out hands down. I am glad you have a companion. My mother is 85 now and has two that I help her with since she is seeing impaired. SHe won't sleep with them tho. SHe is always cold and I tell her why don't you let Mr. Shaffer up on the bed! But it's a no go. I would freeze to death if I didn't have one on each side of me. When I was little she would say "now don't let that dog on the bed" as she closed the door. IT wasn't a second later before I called my little dog up and hid her under the blanket. SHe knows not what she is missing. SHe eventually gave up and I have been sleeping with them for 40 years. Happily.

So glad you got to have one from a puppy up. I do agree that a puppy needs someone home for the first year. I do however think you could have adopted an adult dog back then that would have been just fine and dandy while you were at work. THere are many benefits to adopting an adult dog and plenty that need homes that already have the basics of training.

So many points.
First of all I call my Baruch my "bio hot water bottle". He even understands when I stay in bed because I feel some sickness coming on. He cuddles the back of my knees. He does prefer to hug me and then jump down to his own bed.

 

[bootsykowan]

I did 3 years of therapy work with VIctor. He is the white pointer in my siggy. Attended seminars where they talked about all the benefits a dog has for your health. Increases circulation, improves lung function, production of good harmones, decreases depression. That one hour visit with a pet shows the benefits last for hours and hours after wards when compared to a human visitor or no visitor at all, the pets win out hands down. I am glad you have a companion. My mother is 85 now and has two that I help her with since she is seeing impaired. SHe won't sleep with them tho. SHe is always cold and I tell her why don't you let Mr. Shaffer up on the bed! But it's a no go. I would freeze to death if I didn't have one on each side of me. When I was little she would say "now don't let that dog on the bed" as she closed the door. IT wasn't a second later before I called my little dog up and hid her under the blanket. SHe knows not what she is missing. SHe eventually gave up and I have been sleeping with them for 40 years. Happily.

So glad you got to have one from a puppy up. I do agree that a puppy needs someone home for the first year. I do however think you could have adopted an adult dog back then that would have been just fine and dandy while you were at work. THere are many benefits to adopting an adult dog and plenty that need homes that already have the basics of training.

So many points.
First of all I call my Baruch my "bio hot water bottle". He even understands when I stay in bed because I feel some sickness coming on. He cuddles the back of my knees. He does prefer to hug me and then jump down to his own bed at night. I would love him to cuddle all night. At least when I don't feel good it's the most valuable.

Before I got my first dog, I researched in the Poodle Users Group because I originally wanted a poodle. I was warned to be careful of Show Dog People to get a new dog because they only are interested in providing converting a newbie to be a competitor. I got private email from a person on the list who said she lived near me. She said she was Secretary for Poodles AKC. True to the warning she kept me looking for a toy poodle all over the country for months on end and trying to convince me to be a competitor. I gave up and decided I would adopt any dog from a shelter, when I saw a sign down the block offering bichon frise/westie pups for sale. It was a neighbor whom I already knew. One of the first things she told me was how to pick up poop.