If You Think You are Ready to Die, Buy a Puppy

Julie/ October 6, 2021/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

Here, I’m 87 years old, having difficulty walking, in intractable pain in my legs; and, at times, think of chucking it all in! So what can I do? No, not go to a therapist. Right, buy a puppy!
Our Lucky is sheer Joy. He takes my mind off myself, and directs my moments of lost love of self to my new puppy.
I have had many dogs throughout my life. But, with this dog, I’m not working; so for the first time I have a chance to really be with a dog and with Debs. I have nothing else to do.

Lucky is a genius. Yes, my dog is and does everything you would want him to do. His first day with us he relieved himself without being told, on a fresh pad in the center of a our balcony. Born to be a genius! We are thrilled beyond words with our beautiful Golden mix. He learned within days to sit, down, shake hands and more. Deb is a genius on training this humanoid-like, living thing, called of all things, Lucky. (He really is a human wanting the experience of being a dog) Anyway, Lucky even has “zoomies” – where he runs at a frantic speed through the apartment, onto the couch, across the coffee table- and does it flawlessly over and over again; until he pulls himself up short, stopping on a dime. At which time, he walks away slowly, waiting for the onlookers to break out in applause.
It is similar to the Toreador who, after the kill, swirls his cape over the bull’s horns and slowly bows to the cheer of the crowd. Lucky is indeed gifted. Not once during the zoomies have I ever worried about my legs, only focused on my puppy, breaking anything.
No! I’ve given up my complaining; and ‘poor me,’ to Lucky! I even make up songs to soothe him while sneaking bread from my lox sandwich (so Deb can’t see me) into his shark like mouth.

I’ve been magically cured without tranquilizers, psychotherapist or any pills. So when, in my previous incarnation of old age, I lived in the wilderness of my mind, missing half sentences when Deborah spoke, turning up the volume on the TV loud enough so neighbors could hear, and, finally, thinking about checking out of existence; now, with my new best friend, that recent past no longer exists. I have been cured of saying, “enough, I’m out of here.”

If you are like I have been in my final years, please, I beg you to buy a puppy. Dogs can give you longevity, happiness and even boost our immune system. Life is always better with a puppy.
And remember Dog spelled backwards is God. I’m the one who is LUCKY for having been blessed by my new companion, What’s his name?