The quality of the relationship between a pet owner and his/her pets is directly related to how much time is spent with the pet, training the pet and building trust. Well now, that's pretty true of human relationships also, isn't it? Unfortunately human relationships are not as simplistic and can be quite disappointing through no fault of our own. No, the relationship between pet owners and their pets is a world apart from human relationships. The only exception to that is that pets are often like children and I believe we view them as such because we are their caretakers, they give us love and affection in return for our caring for them. Unlike children though, our pets will never outgrow their need for the care we provide to them, at least not in the physical sense, as children do.

There have been many claims by health care providers that having a pet can have a very positive influence on our health. They provide companionship for the lonely, they provide us with a reason to exercise (walking the dog), they have a calming effect upon us when we pet and play with them, thereby reducing stress levels which in turn reduces blood pressure and other bodily indicators of stress. They give so much and require so little in return, it's almost hard to understand why everyone doesn't own a pet.

Let me share a personal experience that I believe will show a prime example of how a pet can make a difference in one's life. If you've read other articles written by me, you'll know that my 24 year old son suffered with brain cancer until his death early this summer. Last fall he began to talk about wishing he could have a Jack Russell Terrier, he said the reason he wanted one was because they are such smart animals. His friend had one and he just admired it so much. So of course, I went in search of a Jack Russell Terrier for him as a Christmas present. My husband wasn't real keen on the idea at all and I basically had to go against his wishes to get the dog. I did some research to find out more about the breed, it was said that this breed is particularly energetic and require a lot of playtime and exercise. Many times people would get a Jack Russell Terrier and then abandon it because they didn't have the time or patience for it's requirements. Well, there was always someone home, so I knew the dog wouldn't be neglected. I also knew, that even though my son very much wanted the dog, that he would not have the energy to expend on exercising the dog and that task would fall on me and my husband. I'd spoken to my son's friend and asked where he had gotten his JR, he put me in touch with his cousin who breeds them. Fortunately, her female had just had a litter of pups a month prior to my inquiry and they were almost ready to leave mom. I called and talked to her and voiced some of my concerns about the breed. She understood my concern and said that she bred her JR's to be much more calm than most, and that they make wonderful pets. I would have loved to make it a surprise, but it was important that my son be able to choose the pup that he wanted, so I took him with me when I went to view the pups.

Who can resist a puppy? You've got to be incredibly hard hearted to not respond positively to a cute little puppy that is so full of life and playfulness. The entire litter was adorable! We picked each one up and held them and played with them. I was stricken almost instantly by the runt of the litter which was a little girl who was all white except for a brown patch around her right eye and ear.... kinda put you in mind of the RCA dog. My son was attracted to a totally different pup, the pup he wanted was a male and had a mostly brown and black face and ears, there was a white stripe that came down the center of his face to his nose, the rest of him was white. I asked my son what he found so attractive about this pup and he said it was his eyebrows.... he just liked the way his eyes looked. Well... that was that, he'd made his choice. Although pure-bred, these pups didn't come with papers which brought the price down to a manageable amount. Normally a pure-bred JR will cost upwards of $500.00, but this breeder was selling males for $300.00 and females for $350.00. I needed a few weeks to get that amount of money together and so I had the breeder mark his choice and told her that I would pick up the pup in about 2-3 weeks.

It was about 10 days before Christmas when I went to pick up the puppy. I didn't let my son know that's what I was doing, I wanted to be able to surprise him just a little. My son was sleeping when I got home, he slept a lot due to the radiation & chemo that he was taking. I laid the pup next to him on the bed and woke him up. Needless to say, he was all smiles, he named the pup Chewy, after Chewbacca from Star Wars, my son was a big Star Wars fan. To see a big husky guy like my son melt over a little puppy is a precious site. Although my son really enjoyed playing with the puppy now and then, most of the time he was just too tired and little by little Chewy turned to myself and my husband for attention. He was a smart little thing and ornery as well, both my husband and I couldn't help bonding with him and making him our baby. We took him with us everywhere, and everywhere we'd go people would oooh and ahhh over him, he was definitely a people-magnet. He got smarter all the time, we were even able to teach him how to shut the door when he came in from outside (we'd let him out and just barely close the door so that he could push it open), he'd come in and then jump against the door until it closed, it was soooooo cute! Every time Chewy learned something new, my husband would beam with pride (me too:). He'd even taken to calling him "the boy" or "my boy". Who would have thought that a little dog could bring so much joy into a household that had been stricken with sorrow at the prospect of losing a son in the prime of his life. My son enjoyed the stories we told about Chewy's antics when we'd take him out with us, or when Chewy would show off a new trick he learned.

I think God had a two-fold plan in bringing Chewy and us together. Plan 1 was to bring some joy into my son's life and 2, he was giving my husband and I something to ease the emptiness that was left when my son passed away. His plan was such a blessing. Chewy can never replace my son, but there's something about his character that is so familiar. No, I do not believe that my son's spirit reside in the dog. As I said before, to my husband and I, Chewy is very much like a child and so it's not unusual that we would associate some of the corny things he does with those of a real child. The one thing that he and my son have in common is that they both have the ability to make us laugh. My son was a real cut up most of the time, he loved to make people laugh and so does Chewy. They say that laughter is the best medicine, don't they?

When I look at the impact that a little dog has had on me and at a very difficult time in my life, it's easy to see what a difference a pet can make. Not everyone is cut out to be a pet owner, but for those who are lonely or suffering some kind of loss, it could be just the thing they need to get them over the hump.

-------Sharon B is a registered nurse and internet developer. She contributes to http://www.fitandwell.com. One of the newest ventures Sharon is starting is selling products on ebay. She started this business from the information she received at http://www.buyingwholesale.com.

Chewy now has a sister!