10 Ways Dogs Comfort Us When We’re Sick

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As I type this, I am lying on the chaise lounge end of my sectional curled up in a fleece blanket with my laptop. I don’t feel well. I have, for the second time in less than five weeks, a killer head cold. I feel like all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for the next week, but I have four kids and today is a half day at their school. That’s right; a half day – less than three weeks into the new school year. I feel like death, my husband is traveling today and while my twins are napping I should be napping, too. But, I’m not napping because my older girls are home and they’re doing nothing but asking me for this and that and the other, yelling at one another and being overall irritating thanks to their boredom over the fact that it’s pouring rain and they want to go outside. Inside stuff is not fun to them right now. All I want is a dog at this very moment in time.

I keep thinking that a dog wouldn’t ask me for water. A dog wouldn’t want a snack. A dog wouldn’t throw a cup at her sister for being mean. A dog wouldn’t want to take three baths, slam doors every single time they shut one or leave the bathroom door open so that the twins can play in the toilet it forgot to flush. I’m just thinking that a dog would be a huge comfort right now since my kids are clearly not. I love them, I do. But today they are making me wish I had a dog instead (tomorrow I’ll feel better, hopefully, and realize that they’re much better than a dog, so just give me my moment, please). Dogs are a huge comfort to us when we are sick, and I’ll tell you precisely why.

They’re there for us

Dogs are not too busy with anything else that they cannot just be there for us when we don’t feel well. They sense that we are not 100% and they are right there for us to be our friend. They will come near us, love us and not judge us for acting like a big baby when we aren’t feeling well.

They are not humans

That’s the best things about dogs when you’re sick. My husband says that I’m like a man when I’m not feeling well. What I think he means to say is that I’m whiny and overdramatic and annoying. He’s correct, but the dog I want in my mind would never say that to me or act like that’s even close to the truth.

They sense our mood

Dogs know when we don’t feel well. I can cough and throw up and emanate a fever so high I can’t believe the house doesn’t burn down and my kids still don’t notice I don’t feel well. They do, however, notice that I didn’t make their sandwich the correct way.

They detect illness

Did you even know that some dogs are able to detect certain forms of cancer even before a doctor can? For some reason, they are able to smell certain tumors and illnesses, and they can actually make it known that you have a disease before you even know that you do. That’s why I need a dog; when it barks at certain parts of my body, I’ll get them checked out, stat. In all seriousness, though, this is the truth and it is remarkable.

They’re beside us when we need them

Dogs are always beside us. They are there when we need them and they don’t worry about anything else. They’re not about to get up after five minutes when you need them because they have something else to do. They’re there for the duration, and that’s what makes them so amazing.

They’re quiet when we don’t need them

When I want to nap and rest during an illness, my family talks nonstop to me. They have questions, like where to find the shoes they just took off when I wasn’t looking or how come this or why that. They are never quiet, ever. The only time my family is quiet is when they are not home. My imaginary dog is silent unless he is protecting us from danger.

Being around dogs makes people happier

It is a proven medical fact that dogs are a great source of happiness. The act of petting a dog and being near a dog is all it takes to make you feel happy in a second. This means that you might see an improvement in your mood when you are not feeling well simply because your dog is near. That’s a wonderful way to offer a bit of comfort to a sickie.

Dogs reduce stress levels

Another proven medical fact is that dogs are a great source of stress relief. There is something about dogs that reduces feelings of stress and increases feelings of happiness, which is something we all need when we aren’t feeling well. My imaginary dog makes me forget all about all the things that are not getting done when I don’t feel well. He just loves me and reduces my stress. .

Dogs ask for nothing

Aside from being let out to use the bathroom and 30 seconds of your time to fill up their water and food dishes, your dog really does not want anything from you. That might be the most comforting thing about having a dog when you are not feeling well.

Dogs will cuddle nonstop

Dogs have nothing else to do, nowhere else to be and no one more important in their lives. What this means for you is that when you want someone to lie down with you and cuddle when you are not feeling well, you will get it. You will get a dog that wants to spend time with you nonstop and won’t quit cuddling just because daddy is home or dinner is ready.

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