Cold noses warm hearts

No matter your love for the holidays, the winter season can be a difficult time. Amid the family and holiday expectations and cruel Nebraskan weather, it can be hard to stay afloat. But despite the numerous obstacles the season brings, I know that with my dog I will never be alone and will always have someone warm to cheer me up.

There is no doubt, the holidays are a beautiful time of the year; however, it can also be one of the loneliest times. Through these times, one may begin secluding themselves from their family for fear of burdening the family’s holiday fun. However, most individuals can find some comfort in the presence of a pet. Dogs have consistently been represented as man’s best friend, but the impact of one’s bond with their pet can go beyond the effect of a friendship.

 As an individual with Seasonal Affective Disorder, I can personally account for the symptoms the holiday season can inflict on individuals. Sharp changes in weather can be specifically triggering, and thanks to the cold fronts Nebraska blesses us with, I often have found myself in depressive episodes during the holiday season.

Last year my mom and I decided I would benefit from a therapy dog. We began taking our Great Pyrenees, Odin, to Pups With a Purpose, a dog training company that specializes in training therapy dogs.  Odin was obedient and a quick learner, and we decided he should continue training to be a therapy dog and hopefully could come to visit schools with my mom. My mom works in the district as a school psychologist at Papillion La Vista Early Childcare Center and often visits other elementary schools. Both my mom and I thought having a large, fluffy, already laid-back dog would most benefit younger kids. Specifically, we hoped Odin could work with children with special needs because of his size and patience.

After that decision was made, things moved pretty fast. We decided I would adopt a new puppy as my own dog, and we would train him to be my therapy or service dog. I got Oli in February 2022, and he quickly became my shadow. Taking care of him and training him was itself a form of therapy to me, and as cliche as it sounds, I loved him like he was my own son. He was quick to pick up small skills such as “touch” (come and boop my hand) and “calm” (lying down and resting), but professional service-dog training would have to wait until he was a little older.

Once he was old enough, we enrolled Oli into puppy training classes through Pups With a Purpose as well. Odin had also been attending training classes,and the two were often be trained together at home.

Oli had been going to his training sessions for a while when, in October, my symptoms started getting to the point that I needed some time away from school and work. I ended up taking about a weeklong mental health break and pretty much spent the week resting in bed, making up missing assignments, and watching Netflix.

But I also took the week at home to spend time with my dogs. Their comfort and presence made things easier, and although I was still struggling, the bond I shared with my pets made it bearable. When I couldn’t stop crying, Oli would jump on my bed and lie on my chest. When all I could do was sleep, he was right there next to me. When I couldn’t get myself out of bed, it was his encouragement that got me up.

Unexpectedly, the day before I returned to school, Odin, my 2-year-old dog, got very sick and died. Despite my experience working at a veterinary clinic, nothing could prepare me for his death.

Odin was the first of our dogs to begin training as a service dog, and he was doing well. Losing him was extremely difficult not only for my family but for our other pets as well. It hurt to see my family in such pain, especially my parents. We had such great hopes for Odin and felt he could provide comfort for more than just our family.

Although things seemed to keep getting worse, my bond with Oli grew stronger the more we had to go through together. Knowing he was missing Odin, too, made me feel a little less alone in my grief.

Once I returned to school, looking at pictures of Oli and the anticipation of seeing him got me through school. When I got home, I would do schoolwork with Oli sleeping next to me, his presence gave me the motivation to get things done.

It hurts losing such an important piece of my life and having to continue on with my daily routine. Having the support and comfort of a permanent best friend can make all the difference during bitter times. But at the end of the day, it’s bearable going through it with a fuzzy friend to remind me that life keeps going on.