Dogs & depression

[MuffinTo]

I live in a rural area and have a big garden, I work part time from home so I'm home most of the time.

I'm out every day running or walking, come rain or shine I do at least 5 miles a day.

Struggling recently with depression, I'm getting by but taking each day as it comes.

A friend suggested I get a dog, for some company and to feel less lonely.

Good idea or bad idea? I don't want a puppy (the puppy threads make for scary reality reading) so thinking of a rescue dog.

Not sure what else to put here but you guys are the experts with actual current experience so I'd be grateful for advice.

I'm not an expert, but I have a dog and sometimes depression. Have you owned a dog before? Or when you were a child?

Sorry to hear you struggle with depression, unfortunately I do too.

Before we got a dog I would run and walk a lot, now I run a few times a week and then walk him after. I find the walking part really helps my depression, just to watch him happily trotting along and sniffing whilst being in the air and nature helps me, even when it’s freezing, raining etc.

Also I’ve found when you are walking your dog, you get to talk to a lot of other dog walkers too. I’m lucky enough to be in an area where everyone is friendly.

A rescue dog sounds like a good idea. Of course they are a huge commitment but I certainly couldn't imagine life without him.

As a teenager we had a rescue collie, he had guarding issues but we all worked around it (leaving him be with food & toys, essentially) sadly he had cancer and was PTS about 3 years after we had him.

Have looked after a friend's greyhound for 6 months while they were abroad, she was lovely, basically a huge cat, and then looked after another's friends lurcher for 1 month while they were on honeymoon.

The lurcher was a nightmare, separation anxiety and reactive towards everything and anything, spinning and barking on lead, I felt very overwhelmed to be honest and that experience put me off my own dog but that was years ago.

I have depression and a dog. It means I have to leave the house every day for walks which is good for me. And when I just need to lie down my dog seems to get it and will lie with me.
i didn’t get the dog specifically to ease my depression though, I don’t know if that would have put too much pressure on me to “get better”.
but I would recommend a dog though, to anyone!

My dog has been fantastic for my mental health but I don't think I'd want to do it alone or without a really solid support system in place from a dog sitter or friends.

I find that it's not the day-to-day aspects of dog ownership that's hard, it's the one-off occasions that prove difficult.

So - as an example - my parents won't have the dog in their home or come to us due to allergies, so if I want to see them we need to meet outdoors or I need to leave the dog with DH and go alone. I can't leave the dog alone while I visit as it means he's then being left for too long.

We also live rurally and we struggle to do things like go to the cinema and out for a meal - as again, once you factor in travel time, the dog is being left for too long so we have to plan care in advance.

There was a thread on here recently from a dog owner doing it "alone" and there were quite a few people responding and saying how much of a tie it is to never get a break or a day off without throwing money at the problem and using a sitter or daycare.

I'm not wanting to sound too negative as my dog has been amazing for my MH (and health in general) but I don't have to do it all day in, day out as I have DH to help and to take some of the pressure off!

That's really helpful, thank you.

I think if I had an easy going dog it would be positive, but if they had numerous issues and were difficult then it would be an extra stress.

I don't have any support here so by easy going dog I mean one that can be happily left for 1-2 hours, happy in doggy daycare occasionally etc.

@MuffinTo if you're serious about getting a dog then I would highly recommend researching daycares and sitters now.

As well as being a dog owner, I'm also a dog walker myself and since COVID, daycare and home boarding has been in huge demand and there's very little availability in many areas. It's also worth noting that many daycares don't operate in the evenings or at weekends.

I absolutely adore my dog and wouldn't be without him, but having a support system in place makes a huge difference.

I have dogs and they definitely improved my mental health. You also meet people of walks and get chatting to other dog walkers which can be nice too. I'm also involved in a lot of training which is a lovely little hobby.

You can be fussy with your requirements for a rescue dog, just because it's rescue you don't need to fall in love with the first dog you see.

Rescues are bursting with wonderful dogs, be clear with what you want. If it's a calm, active, social dog then be clear with any rescue centre that's what you want. Good rescues will match a dog to you. Don't be afraid to say no if it doesn't feel a right fit. Some rescues also offer trial/ foster with intention to adopt so you can get a better feel for the dog before committing. Good luck with your decision.

What did you decide Op?

Same here. Well, I couldn't do it without OH has he is the one that WFH!

Puppies are NOT good for mental health! Trust me.

My last dog was a rescue with significant issues but they were things that were fine for us to manage. She got me into training and agility and changed my life (as I did hers I suppose) and I am looking forward to starting with the pup when she is old enough - she is starting foundation in a few weeks time learning skills as it's changed a lot since I last trained my own dog. Working a dog that you have trained is a feeling like no other. It's the ultimate bond outside a good marriage I think 😀

We have found it HARD and very restrictive with a pup even with the two of us fully invested and we still have had to arrange cover at times.

An adult dog should be able to be left for up to 4 hours with no problems but that can be restrictive depending on what you like to do. If we go to a gig for example it's usually a 6 - 7 hour trip away due to where we live. So we have to arrange someone to come in. Pup is too young to even think about it at the moment but we have had neighbours do it in the past as we generally help each other out where we live.

So yes it is doable, yes it can be life changing but you either need money or a good support network and actually both.

I'm still thinking about it and weighing it all up, the replies have confirmed it's definitely not a decision to take lightly!

Like I said in my OP though, I know I do not want a puppy so it's wherher to take on a rescue dog.