There is no doubt about it — when we are sick or hurting, our dogs are there for us. They allow us to pet them, cuddle with us and our dogs are also likely not to leave our side during tough times. That's why the are one of the best companions we could have. The way they pick up on cues to know what we need may surprise you!
The Way Our Dogs Use Cues To Comfort Us Is By:
As a hospice veterinarian, Jessica Vogelsang knows how much “being there” can mean to struggling people or pets. She's director of Paws Into Grace in Southern California, a group of vets who provide end-of-life care and euthanasia for pets at home.
The San Diego vet finished her first book, “All Dogs Go to Kevin: Everything Three Dogs Taught Me (That I Didn't Learn in Veterinary School),” just before learning her mom, Patricia Marzec, had an inoperable brain tumor.
Her parents moved in so Marzec could enjoy her last months with family, and Vogelsang's golden retriever, Brody, picked up on the changes. He always jumped on her parents but stopped when they arrived in April.
“He knew Mom was sick. He was with her 24-7,” Vogelsang said.
Dogs know to comfort people by sniffing out some cancers, such as on the breath of a lung cancer patient, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
“They recognize fragile, slumped over, not moving as well,” Beaver said.
In the book, Vogelsang introduces pets that got her through some life changes. As a little girl, her Lhasa Apso named Taffy helped her adjust to an unwanted move from New England to California.
Just after the birth of her first child, her golden retriever Emmett wouldn't leave her alone as she struggled with postpartum depression.
Later, an older Labrador retriever named Kekoa taught her to let go of unrealistic expectations as she balanced career and motherhood.
As you can see, the way dogs know that they just need to be there for us is so amazing. They notice changes in our body langue even if they are subtle. They can even tell when we might be sick with illnesses such as cancer just by sniffing it out.
They help us through changes in our lives by providing love and affection. This is just one of the ways in which dogs are truly incredible.
To learn more about how dogs pick up on cues when we are grieving, you can visit Fox News.
