The Dog that Loved My Mother Too Much

Gretchel was a neurotic dachshund that worried too much about my mother.

Her dog worries were around being left alone too often. 

Mum had started a new class in Italian and was leaving the poor baby at home alone in the mornings. Although Gretchel had access to outside through her own private door, she decided to show her displeasure by pooing inside the house.

Wet, smelly poos disfiguring Ma's nice new carpet.

My mum tried everything. An obvious solution was simply to lock her outside until she got home again, but Gretchel was too smart for that.

She howled and whimpered and barked until the neighbours complained.

She got back inside. She started to poo again.

Next, my mother tried feeding her when she got home, but somehow Gretchel managed to wee instead. Not on the brown carpet, but right on the bed where she slept.

Finally, a friend told my mother about a dog psychologist and recommended sending Gretchel for counselling. My mother initially thought this was ridiculous, but she had run out of other options, so she booked an appointment for Gretchel.

Turns out, the psychologist did house visits.

Dogs are generally smarter than cats. A recent issue of Scientific American points out that while the volume of brain size may be similar, but the density of neurons in a dog brain is much higher than those in a cat brain.

Gretchel eyed the psychologist suspiciously. 

The man did nothing more than walk around the house with my mother, chatting to her about dogs and their behavioural issues. He knew Gretchel would have nothing to do with him.

Meanwhile, Gretchel obsessively followed them everywhere – occasionally growling if she was not happy with the psychologist's behaviour.

Finally, the session was over and the psychologist said he would send his report in the mail. When his report finally came, the prognosis was simple:

Your dog needs to exercise.

When dogs don't get enough exercise, they start to behave neurotically. 

And actually, the same can be said of humans. After all, we are both mammals. Although the reasons are still not clear, many studies have shown a definite improvement in anxiety and depression as a result of more vigorous exercise.

If you feel mentally stressed and anxious, it's worth a try.

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