Not posting to talk about me, but my mam.

My Mam has always lived for her husband and her family, filling a very traditional wife role. I'm the youngest and am getting married next year, moved out a few years ago etc.

3 years ago my dad was diagnosed with Lung cancer and heart failure, and there was no treatment that he was strong enough to survive. My Mam became a nurse and carer. She never left the house unless it was something for my dad (shopping, medicine etc) and despite being in recovery fro breast cancer herself and very frail did everything for my dad, including lifting him from a wheelchair.

18 months ago the heart failure took my dad from us. Of course, it was devastating but my mam was just lost. She had lost all her friends due to having no time for them, was not used to leaving the house and was lost with nobody to care for.

6 months later, after much pestering and discussion she got her little poodle pup. He is now a year old and what a difference it has made in her life. She says herself, he is what she lives for, a reason to get up in the morning. She walks him 3 times a day, and is fitter than I have ever seen her. She drives miles to find nicer walks for him, goes to training classes which have helped her to socialise as much as him. She spends hours looking in shops for nice things for him and loves chatting to people on the beach about dogs.

Without him, I don't know where she would be, or even if she would be here.

It has improved my life beyond words, I have a reason to get out and walk, I never realised that I could love non humans so much!

because without a dog, i'm half a person.

Ditto. My little lady has given me a reason to get out of bed in a morning. A distraction from the things that have wore me down and a new focus. A precious gift that relies on me for everything.

I think dogs should be available on prescription ... joking of course, but seriously, they are lifesavers ... in the mental sense as well as physical.

8 years ago I had a severe riding accident when my horse was killed - we were hit by a speeding motorcyclist ... and without Hal, I can honestly say I would have lost my mind. God forgive me if my OH reads this, but Hal was my saviour ... dogs are so much better at the emotional stuff than human men ... whilst my life fell apart around me, Hal was my rock, to borrow a rather corny phrase. OH, bless him, was worse than useless, although he put up with me during those terrible years when I must have been hell to live with, so I really cannot criticise him and I am not, but it was Hal that helped me.

So I say again, I think dogs should be available on prescription!

Hi
I have recently retired and my wife still works so the days were very long and sometimes very boring and depressing so I got Issy now my life is full of things to do she is my constant companion were ever I am she is not faraway I certainly don’t get time to get bored, and best of all she makes my smile

Many ways, but one is giving me a reason to get out of the house and explore and get exercise at the same time.

Yes, same here too.

It really means to me, because all my friends just stay at the computer all day, and I'm just happy I have a reason to go out and have a long walk with my dog several times a day. And in many other ways...

Now retired we are enjoying Bobby's company, he gives us lots of laughs and gets us out walking.