As you know, I have a whole host of mental illnesses. I’m a giant ball of preexisting conditions. Aside from the medicine (which I take) and the cognitive behavioral therapy (which I’m doing) we’ve been looking for other treatments that could possibly help make this mess better. And one of the things we ran across was Mental Therapy Dogs. Now, a real, certified therapy dog is hard to get: not only do you have to jump through a lot of hoops, such as being approved and being legally declared as disabled, they also cost a lot of money and they have a nine month waiting list. So, I set out to see if I could find a dog that could meet all my requirements, but without the certification.
My requirements: I wanted a lazy, mellow dog. A dog who would be my constant companion and want nothing more than to hang out with me and get its belly rubbed. I needed a dog who I could bring to my office everyday, so it would have to be a quiet dog, and one who is both obedient and fully housebroken.
I went to various shelters, and finally, at a place run by BestFriends.org, I told them my criteria, and they immediately pointed across the room to Annie. It was love at first sight, and I took her home that day.
Annie sitting in my office. She’s officially a “beagle mix”, and the best I can tell she has some foxhound in her and maybe some shepherd.
Annie sitting on her bed.
Annie sitting by the window. She likes to watch the world go by and lazily sit in the sun.
How she spends 80% of her day. And lest you think it’s just because she’s bored at the office, it’s how she spends the weekends at home, too. She’s just SUPER LAZY. And perfect.
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Glad you got a good dog. I have a Beagle mix (beagle and pug) and she is obedient in the house. If the kids leave the door open, she will bolt out and not listen worth anything.
Nan, she’s definitely a scent dog–when I take her on walks she’ll find a scent and be off like a shot. (My guess is that’s how she got lost to begin with. Despite being so obedient, she was found as a stray and taken to the pet sanctuary. I bet that she got away from her owner, followed her nose and got lost.)
Looks like a great find. A companion in the office makes a HUGE difference!
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve had some serious trouble with depression (and OCD, and bipolar stuff) that I’m getting medication and treatment for, but it’s been difficult. Last August we adopted a dog (lab and pit bull and some kind of hound mix), and he has been by far the best thing for my crazytimes.
Looks like Annie’s got a great home. I hope she’ll be good for you.
She’s lovely. How perfect!
She is so adorable! I hope you two will be very happy together.
When my daughter first came to me as a foster placement, our super sweet mellow lab was her constant companion. My daughter had been severely neglected and was plagued with anxiety but Max made her feel safe like no one else could. You can’t under estimate the power of a great dog.
So happy for you Rob! Dogs are the best!
My mom raised beagles as trackers for hunters. I have lots of great memories of the cute puppies, then when they got old enough, helping my mom train them to track certain types of animals. Beagles are my very favorite breed of dog. Great snugglers, too. =)
She’s adorable, Rob. When I saw you out walking her yesterday I was all nerdy and said out loud, “Annie!”
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