April 15, 2015
Let’s face it—we aren’t getting any younger
and neither are our parents.
But we don’t like to think about it, because it worries us. We’re constantly thinking and worrying about their safety as well as, physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Although, we cannot completely protect them from illness and harm, there are preventative measures they can take to avoid many obstacles that come with old age. I’m not talking about taking a dozen raw vitamins a day or signing up for self-defense courses. (Although, those may be useful.) I’m just talking about dogs, man’s best friend. Here are a few ways having a dog around the house may keep your parents young.
Security System
First and foremost, your parent’s at home safety is very important considering this is where they spend most of their time, sleep, and keep their belongings. Having a dog inside and/or outside the house is a great security system. In the case of an intruder, they have a much greater chance of being warned of an unwanted presence.
Property Line Enforcement
Dogs are also great for keeping larger animals (raccoons, stray cats, etc…) out of your fathers beloved workshop and/or your mother’s dream garden that she’s been working her entire life to maintain.
Exercise
Regardless of the dog’s age, all dogs need to get exercise. This is a perfect way for your parent(s) to get exercise, too. Even if it’s just for a few minutes every day or multiple hours a week; any exercise is better than no exercise. And dogs are the perfect work out buddies, because they never over sleep their alarms for early workouts and always have energy at the end of the day for night walks!
Alone Time
A dog will give your parents a break from each other! We all know that you really just cannot be around the same person all of the time. Having a dog around the house is great for getting space from your loved ones when needed.
And vice versa!
Having a dog may also create new activities for them to do together. Such as, going on walks, going to dog parks, etc… After all, variety is the spice of life and a little bit of spice goes a long way.
Socializing
Getting out of the house more often allows more opportunities for your parent(s) to socialize; this is a huge part of their well-being. We are humans; we need to socialize. It’s in our nature. Maybe they’ll even get a few new friends out of the deal. Who knows?
Constant Companion
For the people who only have one parent or whose parents are separated, a dog is an excellent way to keep them from becoming lonely, since you can only visit so often due to your full-time job and living far away.
Winding Down
They help with stress; which is one thing your parents shouldn’t have to do anymore. They’ve stressed out enough throughout their lives. It’s time for them to relax. Even the presence of a K9 is a great way to decrease anxiety. Hence, why some universities will bring dogs to campus during finals week.
Fill Up the Empty Nest
And lastly, when you cannot be there to give your mom and/or dad a kiss and hug on their birthday, you know that their dog has got you covered.
This is just a short list of ways and reasons why it may be a good idea for you to have a little powwow with your parent(s) about looking into finding a dog suitable for them. Although younger dogs have more energy, perhaps it is best for them to look into getting a young to middle-aged dog. They already went through teaching potty training and fundamentals while raising kids and perhaps they’re not up for round two in their older age. Although this is not true with all older dogs, they do tend to be more set in their ways, have lowered senses, and may not be as friendly to new people.
It really is funny how drastically the tables turn when you’re the one worried sick about them rather than them being worried about you. Having a dog around may just makes everyone sleep a little bit better at night.
