My dog Sawyer comforted me better than any other animal or human I’ve ever met. Since I lost him nearly a year ago, I’ve had to get better at comforting myself effectively. Fortunately, I learned a lot about how to do that from him. Humans have so much to learn from animals about this. Here are some of the ways Sawyer comforted me.
- Sitting, standing, or lying down on me. Physical touch can be incredibly comforting for me and Sawyer was a master at physical touch. His repertoire included pulling my hand over to him when he wanted pets, sleeping next to me on the couch, sitting or lying on my lap while I worked on the computer, and lying across my leg or arm. Sometimes, especially when I felt upset, he’d look intently at me and wait until I signaled him to come over before engaging. Very few humans do that, so I appreciated him getting the ok from me before coming into my space.
- Giving me quiet support. Unlike most humans, Sawyer never gave me any unwanted advice, dragged me into endless small talk, or talked about his own problems when I brought up mine. He was always excellent at sitting or lying down quietly near me and being present with me. Sometimes I’d share how I was feeling, but usually I just enjoyed his silent company. He always made me feel safe to either say anything or stay quiet in his presence.
- Celebrating with me during my good times and comforting me during my bad times. Once he got comfortable with me after he’d been home for a while, Sawyer always did what he could to support me in any season of life. That’s what made my best days even more amazing and my hard days bearable. He was excellent at knowing how much to do depending on my mood; when I felt good, he’d be more playful, and when I felt bad, he’d be more calm. What’s more, whenever I spent time alone until I felt better, he never took it personally and always welcomed me back with open arms when I was ready to interact again.
- Showing me love, whether I felt good or bad. Sawyer did the former by greeting me excitedly when I came home, attempting to delay me leaving the house, and seeking me out whether I was in my room, by the computer, or on the couch. He did the latter by wanting to be near me and do stuff with me even when I felt down. That meant the world to me as not everyone I know wants to be around me when I feel upset. While he did give me extra attention once I finally learned how to manage my emotions in a healthy way, he never made that a prerequisite for receiving his love and support.