Depressed? Get a Dog.

Or at least spend some time with one.

Here's my furry little ball of therapy, Elizabeth the chiweenie:

I never planned on getting a dog. I love them, but my work schedule and commute prevent me from having the time to give them the full range of care that they need. But my mom, who lives with me, wanted one for the longest time and fell in love with the little girl in the picture up yonder. Mom is retired, so she can take care of her during the day. 

So now I have a dog, and I can't imagine life without her.

After a soul-sucking day at work, there's nothing better than coming home and being greeted like she's a 13-year-old girl and I'm Justin Bieber. Even if I'm only gone for a minute, I get a hero's welcome when I come back. No human has ever been that glad to see me. If you take good care of a dog, give her praise and let her know she's loved, you've got a fan for life. 

She's also a lot of work, so that helps me take the focus off of myself for a while. I don't have time to think of my woes and worries when I'm devoting my free time to her well-being. It's like having a kid, only better, because I don't have to put her through college. 

One thing you definitely can't have in your home if there's a puppy living there is clutter. Puppies get into everything and either chew on it or try to eat it. This means making sure the floors are always vacuumed and clean and that whatever isn't nailed down is put well out of sight, preferably on a high shelf. A benefit of having a clean, uncluttered and well-organized home is that it has been shown to reduce depression, at least in women. 

Dogs also need plenty of exercise, including regular walks so they can do their business. Elizabeth is pretty tiny so she gets plenty of exercise just running around the house and she uses a Puppy Pad in the house, but I still take her to the park to walk as often as I can just to get her some sun and fresh air. Incorporating activity into your routine, even if it's just a walk around the block, has also been shown to help with depression.

Although socializing while fighting depression is very difficult, you have no choice but to do it when you have a dog. When you take her out for a walk and everyone sees how cute she is, they want to come over and play with her or ask you about her. If they have their dogs with them, you have to chat with them while the dogs get to know each other. Even if you really don't want to be around other people, you need to be. So does she, so if you can't do it for yourself, do it for her. When you have a dog, it's no longer just about you.

Sure, having a dog living in your home isn't for everyone. They need a lot of work and attention, and not everyone has time to devote to that. Maybe a friend or family member has a dog, and this can be your reason to spend more time with these people. If a pet expo or convention is coming to your city, go and hang out with the dogs other attendees will bring. Volunteer at a no-kill shelter. There's also the option of getting a visit from a therapy dog.

At the very least, you won't feel so alone all the time. So give it a shot if you think you're ready and you have the time to devote to pet care. You won't regret it. I certainly don't.