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MAKING MY PEACE … with missing Louie

Insights into health, healing, happiness, and making ground in life ...

MARTINA NICOLLS

Jun 14

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There are many times that I miss my best friend, Louie. Reliable, loyal, intelligent, friendly, funny, playful Louie – a companion who travelled with me on road journeys, ran with me on track and cross country, waited outside stores for me on shopping trips, haggled with the local butcher for leftovers, enjoyed a cool beverage with me on hot days, read the newspaper with me during stay-indoor days, chased away garden intruders for me and indoor spiders too, played “hockey-sticks” and football with me on leisure days, and generally agreed to do anything with me at any time, with not a complaint in the world.

My French miniature poodle Louie is terribly missed. I’ve resumed running now; short, gentle trots around my Parisian neighbourhood; but without Louie. Back in Australia, he used to be my pacer, keeping a few steps ahead of me, dictating the route. He preferred track work where he could run laps at his own pace, simultaneously maintaining an eye on me. He wasn’t a dog-on-a-lead type because he would never leave my side without checking on me first. He even cleared the path of pigeons to give me clear passage.

Louie loved road trips, where he enjoyed the wind, the scenery, the rest stops, the map checks, and of course, the destination. Especially the beach and the rolling countryside.

He saved my life once – probably more than once. At five in the morning, on the open Australian country road travelling back to our city apartment, a speeding semi-trailer was on a collision course with my little sedan. Louie barked at the metal beast, just in time for me to see the enormous wheels outside the window, making me swerve onto the roadside gravel, halting beside the barbed-wire fence. The oblivious semi driver stayed his course and was out of sight as Louie patted my shaking leg. Louie checked that I was breathing and rested his head on my lap as we recovered from the ordeal. He was my unwavering protector. From pigeons to potholes, from spiders to semi-trailers, from insects to intruders, from dropped pens to chairs not tucked under tables, and even to remind me not to speed while driving.

Louie would love Paris, especially being permitted into cafés and restaurants, although he wouldn’t like the dog leash rules.

Why was my bond with Louie, so strong? The relationships between humans and animals, particularly pets, can be as strong or even stronger than the ones we have with other humans. Perhaps this is because the relationships are less complicated and more loyal.

The Washington Post had an article about pet attachment in February 2024. Former executive director of the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC) and the IAABC Foundation, Marjie Alonso, said, “Our pets provide a steady, stable presence in a way that humans do not.”

Psychotherapist Dr. Steven Farmer agrees, calling it “grounding” and adding that pets add structure and a daily routine to people’s lives, from feeding to inviting you to play and be physically active. As a companion, he says that pets listen attentively to what you’re saying – at least to the sound of your voice, even if they don’t understand. They make you feel loved. This, in itself, increases levels of the hormone oxytocin in the body, which has beneficial effects from slowing the heart rate to increasing a sense of calmness.

Dogs help improve the health and longevity of people’s lives – and some dogs help more than others, says a research study. The study published in Scientific Reports explores which dog breeds are more conducive to improved health for humans.

Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden tracked the health data, from government records, of Swedes aged 40-80 years who had no prior heart disease before a specific date. There were 3.4 million people in that category, and 13% owned dogs. This sample of people were tracked over a period of about 12 years. Each dog in Sweden is fitted with a microchip or tattoo with an identifier that links them to the information of their owner.

Based on the data, researchers concluded that dog ownership had a positive benefit for humans and improved their longevity. Dog ownership reduced the potential for heart diseases by 26% and reduced the probability of dying from any illness or cause by 20%.

They also found that if a dog owner lived alone with their dog, the benefits were greater than if the dog was in a shared household. For example, the incidence of heart disease reduced by 15% for dog owners in shared households and by 26% for dog owners living alone. The risk of dying over the 12 years of the study was reduced by 11% for dog owners in shared households and by 33% for dog owners living alone. Uppsala University professor and researcher, Tove Fall, said that having a dog neutralizes the effects of living alone.

Their findings also showed that sporting and hunting dogs (pointers and setters), as well as retrievers, spaniels, and water dogs, seemed to provide humans with greater health benefits.

Researchers showed that the dog breeds that were most beneficial for humans were the most sociable dogs – the ‘kissy’ dogs – the dogs that wanted the most social interaction with humans. Playful dogs, therefore, have the most benefits for people. That was Louie. Louie was definitely a playful dog.

Making my peace with missing Louie, I learned the following: