[Dailydrool] Dog as Medicine

[Beverly Szaton]

I have recently begun to wonder about all this talk about how dogs lower
your blood pressure, keep you moving and help you live longer.
Julie mentioned petting her dog keeps her BP down but here, I think it is
often a different story.
I sit down on the couch. Conley is the first. He crawls into my lap and I
begin absent-mindedly (my specialty) petting him. He purrs. Wait, no--dogs
don't--oh that's Nigel at my knee,glaring and growling. Conley's hackles
rise and he says something back about Nigel's Mother. Cooper hears them and
from his place in the chair raises his mighty head and begins to roar at
both of them to knock it off.
Llewis runs into the room barking because he thinks SOMETHING EXCITING is
going on. Cooper thinks someone is at the door, leaps to his feet, falls off
the chair and rushes to the door with all the Bassets following, barking
DANGER DANGER AT THE DOOR!!!
Now my BP is astronomical and I get up, and go look for another place to sit
after handing out biscuits to shut them up.

I open the back door and let the furry kids out. Conley and Nigel are at the
front shouldering each other out of the way so that each one can be first
out the door. I am barefoot. 16 feet with slightly too-long nails run RUN
mind you, over my two feet. I am now limping on both feet.
I go to the bathroom just quickly and I JUST sit down when all hell breaks
loose in the backyard. It is  6 a.m. Katie behind me has let her two
big-mouth dogs out. Oreo (her border collie who is quite a bit smarter than
I am) barks once. Four of mine respond in an ascending chorus of bays,
barrrooooos, screams and yodels. I yank on my pants (remember, my BP is
already up from the "petting" incident) and charge out the door remembering
to make my voice high-pitched and happy.
GITINHEREG-------T I scream in my highpitched happy tone.
They don't.
I shriek GETABISCUIT
They don't. I see the light go on in Roger's bedroom next door.

I run back in and grab a couple of biscuits to prove I am serious and go
back out and yell again,  but the dogs are barking too  loudly to pay
attention. I run back in and grab a leash or two and start out barefoot,
remember where I am and how many dogs use the yard after breakfast and run
back in to find my muck boots.

All this exercise! What a wonderful way to get my heart going. Oh did I
mention that I am now so angry I can hear my heart raging? I dash out--or
start to-- and slam the door open hitting Conley in the side of the head.
All 4 are standing quietly at the door looking slightly confused. "Well you
said to come in and now you have your boots on and are hitting us with the
door? In or out, Mom?"

I don't know. Maybe just to get some relaxtion I will schedule a mammogram.

MomPerson to Nigel, Llewis,Conley and Cooper and I need to get my BP meds
renewed....
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