I'm My Dog's Emotional Support Human

My dog Minnie is the cutest yet quirkiest little dog I've met. Of course, I'm a little biased.

She loves to spend her time outside in the backyard of my parents' house. When someone comes home, she runs to the door to greet them. And she loves receiving treats and pats like any other dog.

However, there are a lot of ways she's different from other dogs. If my parents are out of town, Minnie will refuse to eat her kibble.

She will eat if I hand-feed her treats. But that's about it.

She also often needs some emotional support, either from our other dog, Daisy, or from the humans in the house.

The Storms

During a thunderstorm, Minnie freaks out. She doesn't like the loud cracks of thunder, and she will shake when she gets really scared.

Of course, other dogs get scared. But Minnie can't stand being alone during a storm.

If a storm happens overnight, she'll get as close as she can to my parents on their bed. But during the day, she doesn't have that option.

Instead, she has taken to asking me for comfort. Both of my parents work outside of the house, but I don't. I work from home as a freelance writer.

Last month, we had a pretty big thunderstorm one morning. I was working in my room with the door closed, but I left to go to the restroom. As I returned to my room, Minnie followed close behind.

She didn't calm down, so I took that as a message to go downstairs. I could have kept working upstairs, but she would have been scared. And I would have wondered how she was.

When I went downstairs, Minnie sat next to me on the couch, and I knew she appreciated my presence. I appreciated having her close by, too.

The same thing happened earlier this week when we had another thunderstorm. There's something about being near another being that you love, even if you're already busy with work.

The Fireworks

Like many dogs, Minnie also hates the fireworks we experience on Independence Day in the United States. Despite fireworks being illegal where I live, people shoot them off.

As that happened, Minnie came up to me. I snuggled her like a thunder blanket. She didn't stop shaking, but she did slow the shaking a bit.

I can't read her mind, but I believe the pressure did comfort her. Knowing that someone is there to protect her.

We can't always make the fireworks go away. But we can comfort our pets, and they can comfort us.

She Helps Me, Too

Sometimes, I get a little lonely when I work from my room/office. I don't have Zoom calls or other meetings, so it gets a little boring. When I can, I love to take my laptop downstairs.

Then, I can know that I'm not alone. And the same is true for both of my dogs, Minnie and Daisy.

Whether I have a technical project to complete or a lot of demanding edits, being near my dog is comforting. I can know that I'm loved and that the stressful times will pass.

And when both of my parents are out of the house, I can spend time with my dog. Is it the same as spending time with another person? No, but it's pretty great when you have the option.

The Moral of the Story

Not everyone can work from home. But when you can, you get to spend plenty of time with your pets. This can be great if you need them as emotional support, but it goes both ways.

We can provide emotional support for our pets as well. They go through a lot, and we can't just explain to them why it's thundering or why fireworks are going off.

All they know is that there are loud booms happening outside. I know that would terrify me if that was all I understood.

Fortunately, we can bring our laptops to the couch and work near our pets. At best, they will feel much better, but at least they'll know they aren't alone. And, I can continue writing the day away.