Dogs Provide the Best Form of Therapy

Over the last few years, our family has been through some pretty tough times.  Having two children with more energy than they can contain, one of which being diagnosed with Autism, and an adult son who has encountered his own set of life challenges, our family has certainly struggled.  The most recent two years I would say have been especially trying.  We are a bag full of mixed game pieces that don't seem to go to the same game.  But, that mixed bag somehow works....most of the time.  Bruce and I often times just giggle when we start thinking about our little crew.  Giggling sometimes seems to be the only way to handle our life, short of crying.  Bruce is our even keeled family member who has the super power of staying calm in almost any crisis.  He has shown this ability more times than I can count.  Trust me, our children have given him plenty of practice.   I, on the other hand, do not possess this strength.  I am the organizer and planner of the family.  In a crisis, I panic.  Do not call me if you are on fire.  I would be completely useless.  But, if you need your closet or pantry organized, I'm your gal.

The the last 20 years, I have longed for a dog.  I love dogs and I know the kind of therapy they can provide just by being there.  With their wagging tails, sweet eyes, and fierce loyalty, I just knew a dog would be a good mix to our weird ensemble of game pieces.  One day when I happened to be perusing the rescue agency website that showed pictures of their new dogs, Beau just happened to see on one of the sweet faces of the black lab mix litters and had an instant reaction.  It was the first time he showed even an inkling of interest.  Prior to this, he would agree with me that a picture of a new dog was cute, but that was as far as he would go.  But this time, he let out a very vocal "awww" when he saw this new litter.  He agreed to let me at least submit an application, so of course, within minutes of getting home from our trip to Maine I had sat down at the computer and put in our application as fast as my fingers could physically type in the information.  I knew that since the litter was just weeks old and only available as of that day, I had to be fast because many families would want one of the 6 sweet puppies.  Even though I had submitted our application within only a few hours of them being listed, we were told we were number 31 in line to get one of the pups if our application was approved.  I was heartbroken, but I told myself and the boys that God knew which dog was right for our family and if this one didn't work out, we would wait for the right situation.  However, it took all I could muster up to hold back my own tears.  That night as I was tucking in the boys, we prayed together for God to either work out this situation for us or to give us peace about waiting for another opportunity to come.  In my mind, however, I just wanted to do something quickly before Beau changed his mind.

A couple of days  passed and I spent lots of time on the computer looking at rescue dogs that needed a home.  But I knew it had to be the right situation for Beau to be on board.  Beau is a practical kind of a guy, so of course he was analyzing this from the prospective of cost, the dogs temperament, house breaking, furniture chewing, the boys helping, and a possible added stress of taking care of yet another "person".  I, being the kind of person who usually jumps in feet first without totally weighing everything, was chomping at the bit to have a dog.  Once I make a decision, you can't hold me back.  I am fully in!!!

Finally, the day came and we heard from the rescue agency.  She sent us an email saying that our application had been approved, and for some crazy circumstances, only 2 of the dogs had been adopted out of the 30 applications ahead of us.  We were now next on the list to come visit the puppies the next day and pick one if we fell in love.  I was so excited, but mostly, I was thrilled to use this as a teaching moment with the boys about prayer.  The sweet woman from the rescue place told me that this so rarely happens that she has to go through that many applicants to adopt puppies since puppies are so much desired.  I smiled because I knew it was a God thing and I happy for this opportunity to share that with the boys.

The next evening we spent over an hour with the 4 remaining puppies.  We took our time because this was such a big decision.  They were all so sweet and adorable.  One was skiddish and a little aloof.  Two were hyper and loved play fighting with each other.  Then there was Lincoln.  He was playful and loving with the boys, energetic, and at the same time, calm.  He would look into your eyes as if to say please bring me home because I will love you forever.  And we did.




Here we are 9 months later, and our whole family is so in love with this precious puppy.  He is sweet, loving, obedient, and such a blessing to the Bennett clan.  Even Beau loves this puppy, and that is really saying a lot.  But Lincoln has warmed himself into Beau's heart.

I have lost 25 pounds walking Lincoln.  I have enjoyed spending more time outdoors because of our long walks.  The boys walk Lincoln a lot and that has led to more interactions with the neighborhood kids.  Mostly Oliver has used Lincoln as a tool to bond with others and that alone has been a huge blessing. Ollie doesn't like going outside, nor is he comfortable talking with other kids, but Lincoln has helped him bridge that gap.  Lincoln has been a calming influence in our house.  His kisses brighten up a sad boy that had a rough day at school.  Lincoln encourages Carter to run faster making him better at soccer.  William gets into Lincoln's crate to sleep with him.  During the day, Lincoln follows me room to room keeping me company as I put away laundry and clean bathrooms.  I find myself talking to him all day long.  Beau has softened just a bit too.  I frequently find him outside playing with Lincoln.  Even Zander, a self-proclaimed cat person, adores Lincoln.

Lincoln may not be a certified therapy dog, but he is our form of therapy.  He is the right fit for our family and we are thankful for the sweet distraction Lincoln provides in our crazy, chaotic lives.