Are dogs truly man’s best friend?

Words VIV ADCOCK

I have an un-doggy male friend who recently went through a marriage breakdown. At the exact same time, a stray dog found its way into his life. My friend was distraught, angry and confused, and though he never admitted it, he was deeply depressed. He retreated into his cave and became a recluse, shutting himself away and rejecting anyone who reached out to him. Having the dog to consider and care for, he would drive into town once a week to buy food for the dog, at the same time neglecting feeding himself. During the next few months, the stray dog never left his side, sensing his new master’s pain.

My friend recently described those months to me. He recalled spending agonising days of loathing himself, blaming his wife for everything and then hating himself for blaming her. Days of internal fighting rolled into weeks of hopelessness and despair. The dog stayed in close proximity, laying close by but not under his feet. He didn’t expect anything from my friend or annoy him for anything; he only desired to be there with him. The dog totally allowed for wherever his master was at – energetically, mentally and emotionally – no matter what.

As time went on, the pain subsided, and my friend reached out to me. The dog became quite a talking point as I knew my friend was not an animal person, yet this dog had found his way into my friend’s heart and life at the time he required it most. He hadn’t even given the dog a name so he wouldn’t become attached. They had created a companionship that went way beyond words. For me, the dog’s gifting and contribution of kindness were palpable. I introduced my friend to the fact that some animals are healing animals. They have a sense and instinctively know where we are at. A lot of people don’t know how to be with someone who is in pain; it can be confronting and uncomfortable for them. Often these well-meaning people unknowingly and unintentionally add to a person’s healing journey with their need to focus on the ‘problem’, fix something or create comfort as a temporary distraction.

To have an animal or someone that can just be whatever is required is one of the greatest gifts. This is a space that facilitates energetic shifts that are way beyond cognitive explanation or any length of processing or conversation. The nourishment of having physical touch with an animal can deeply soothe the nervous system and, for people who do not connect with traditional forms of therapy or talking to a close friend, animals can provide a uniquely magical transformation.

www.vivadcock.com