The Influence Of Hound Ownership On Mental Health

Hound ownership can come with a lot of ups and downs for our mental health.  Some struggle more than others, and that is okay!

May  is Mental Health Awareness month.  So, we thought that we would discuss  some of the common benefits that dogs bring to our lives, but also  discuss the negatives as well for anyone that is struggling out  there…you aren’t alone.

Overall, hounds bring many benefits to our lives both mentally and physically:

Stress  Reduction: Interacting with dogs has been shown to lower cortisol  (stress hormone) levels and encourage the release of all the happy,  feel-good hormones instead!  

Improves  Mental Health: Our canine companions provide unconditional love and  support, often when we need it most, which is massively beneficial for  anyone struggling with depression of anxiety.  Many hounds are very in  tune with their owners and can sense when they are distressed and  provide a source of emotional support.  
Their  companionship can bring about a sense of happiness, purpose, and  fulfilment, which helps our overall emotional well-being but also  resilience in facing problems.
Just stroking a dog  can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate, their very presence can  have a calming effect, which is really helpful for anyone struggling  with anxiety.

Encourage Activity  and Physical Health: Our hounds give us a reason to get up in the  morning, and more than that, they give us a reason to get moving.  Be it  walking around the block, a couple hours round the local nature reserve  or taking your hound for a day out at the seaside, their health and  wellbeing is completely reliant on our taking care of them.  So, we get  up, and we walk them, even if we don’t want to.  Even just playing with  them in the garden or cuddling them on the sofa is a distraction from  any negative thoughts.
In walking our hounds, we are  more likely to meet the daily recommended exercise guidelines, and  through that regular exercise we can improve our overall health.  

Social  Connections:  We’ve all had it where we are walking our hounds, and we  say good morning to another dog walker or stop to chat with those we see  regularly so the dogs can say hello.  Dogs are our ice breaker for  conversations with other human beings!  They facilitate interactions and  help mitigate any feelings of isolation and depression.  A lot of human  friendships come about because of dog friendships, much in the way  people with children end up bonding with other parents!

The  responsibility of caring for a dog, including feeding, grooming,  training and beyond provides a sense of purpose, which is beneficial for  brain health and overall cognitive well-being.

Granted,  some of us become a little bit too reliant on our hounds and make being  a hound parent our entire personality…but is that necessarily a bad  thing?

Similarly, there are numerous benefits for children in growing up alongside a canine companion.

Despite  greyhounds not being bred with the intention of living with children,  or raised with experience of being around them, they make remarkable  family pets. As such greyhounds are highly sought after as family pets  due to their passive, gentle and laid-back temperament that aligns  brilliantly with children of a variety of ages. They also do  particularly well as companions to those with special needs, with many  being used as therapy dogs.

They  provide emotional support, companionship and a non-judgemental presence  that encourage children to communicate freely.  Just like in adults,  having a hound helps get kids active.  Whether it’s playing in the  garden or going for walks, having a hound to walk alongside makes  exercise much more interesting!
Children that grow up  alongside a dog learn empathy, compassion, social skills and  responsibility, and are better able to demonstrate and engage in  cooperative play and communication with other children.

So  really, you would think with so many proven benefits from having a dog  in your life, for both your mental and physical health, whether child or  adult, that everyone would have one!

However,  while people may want or enjoy having a hound in their lives, not  everyone is in a position to do so.  There are barriers such as work  commitments, financial restraints, regular travel, allergies…and  personal preference!  Some people just prefer cats. Not that we’re going  to judge them too hard for it… (we will)

Though,  despite dogs’ ability to bring so much joy, happiness, and light to our  lives, it doesn’t always go to plan. While many dream of owning a dog,  for a lot of people, the expected benefits of doing so aren’t always  immediate...

This is particularly  true for anyone that already struggles, or has struggled in the past,  with some aspects of mental health. Taking on a new dog can be  overwhelming and the stress of it can trigger a negative response,  rather than a positive one!

Adopting  a hound, or any dog for that matter, can leave some people feeling  overwhelmed, trapped, and that they regret the decision.  This is known  as Post Adoption Depression (PAD), otherwise known as the ‘puppy blues’.  

PAD is where the doubts start  to creep in after the initial excitement and preparedness wears off,  particularly in those early days or weeks where things may not be going  quite as intended! Settling a dog in can be really difficult, for both  the owner and the dog, despite what other people’s social media might  say!

PAD presents itself as a  form of anxiety, and depression. It is this nagging feeling of failure,  being overwhelmed, and trapped by the fact you have promised all the  years ahead to a four-legged creature that is completely reliant on you  to survive. The sudden change to your paradigm and not being able to  just nip down to the shops or out to the pub or book a holiday…you have  to consider the dog in everything.
It can come with  dark thoughts that can really spin people out.  Was taking on a dog the  right thing?  Would they be happier with another family?  I can’t give  them the life they deserve!

While  everyone will go through some degree of it after taking home a hound,  the most common effect is just having the odd negative thought or an off  day, others can struggle for days, weeks if not months after adopting a  dog.

PAD prevents people for  bonding with their dog and for some people these thoughts and feelings  can spiral, and they convince themselves that the dog is better off  without them which leads them to return the dog to the rehoming centre.  This usually occurs in the first three weeks and is one of the leading  causes for failed adoptions.

It  is a terrible shame when this happens, but you can’t help how you feel!   Studies have shown that PAD affects people in the same way as  Post-Partum Depression, there’s no rhyme or reason to it.  It affects  seasoned dog owners as often as it does first timers.

Even  if you don’t struggle with PAD, there are various difficulties that can  come from having a hound in your life and that comes from just worrying  about them!  They are part of the family and, particularly in cases of  illness or injury, feelings of anxiety and stress can be exacerbated.

One big impact on people at the moment is the cost of looking after our canine companions.  
Caring  for a dog entails various expenses, including food, grooming,  veterinary bills, and unexpected medical emergencies. For individuals  facing financial hardship or living on a tight budget, the financial  strain of dog ownership can be a significant source of stress and  anxiety.

Countless dogs are being  surrendered to rescues and rehoming centres across the country as the  fear of not being able to afford their essential care leaves owners  feeling inadequate and anxious.  Especially in the event something  unexpected happens such as sudden illness or injury.

There  are also other struggles, for instance those of who take hounds on with  behavioural issues or that they develop issues such as reactivity.  We  can love them, and they love us, but having a dog with any kind of  behavioural struggle, be it reactivity, separation anxiety, resource  guarding or beyond…it can put a huge amount of strain on your mental  health.

Regardless of the reason  for their behaviour, and what management is put in place to mitigate it,  many owners experience burn out, many give up or think about giving up.   This is because at some stage or another, you go through a mourning  period.

Not because they’ve died,  but because the dream of what your life would look like with your new  hound has died.  What you wanted, and what you got, are two very  different things and you will grieve that.  You will battle with that  for a long time, and you won’t always win that battle.  It’s completely  understandable that people give up and surrender their hounds, no matter  how much they love them.

It is  not easy by any stretch, but from the dog’s perspective, that commitment  to helping them overcome their issues creates such a strong bond, such  loyalty, reliance, and love with you as their owner.  You are their  safety net, and every time they have a breakthrough, reach a milestone,  and have little wins…it all becomes worth it. The relationship you have  with your hound is so important and you will never forget it for the  rest of your days.

You will love  them so fiercely and celebrate every win and cry with them at every set  back. But one day, one day it will all come together.

But,  you may not have gotten that far. You may have been one of the people  who gave up…and that’s okay. You will never get any judgement from us  for that.  Not everyone can adjust their entire lifestyle and approach  to dog ownership to accommodate a reactive hound, and that’s okay.  Anyone that tells you otherwise is a (words that aren’t social media  friendly).

Yes, for the most  part, taking on a new dog is very much a case of expectation vs reality.  You can’t let yourself feel like a failure because you hit a little (or  big) road bump. There will be trials and tribulations, but if you can  work through those difficult thoughts, lower your expectations and  celebrate every little milestone of both your dog and your  progress…you’ll come out the other side and you will never look back.

When  it all falls into place, you get to learn about each other, start to  bond and your new routine becomes familiar and comfortable, you will  come to see the unconditional love that a dog offers. We need to  normalise that adopting a dog isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, to  ensure that people are prepared for how they might feel after taking  their dog home and that they can call for help!

If  you are looking to adopt a dog, make sure to have an open and honest  conversation with your chosen rehoming centre.  It is difficult, we  know, but mention any prior, or current, struggles with mental health  that might result in post adoption depression, or that you may need  additional support moving forward. This way they will be able to better  prepare you, answer questions or concerns, and find the right  match…which should, hopefully, result in a very successful adoption and  years of happiness with your canine companion!

There is no greater feeling as you move forward together and have that happily ever after you were both looking for!

While  we can sit here and write about how wonderful hound ownership is and  how it all works out in the end, we know for a fact that it doesn’t for  everyone, and that is okay too.  Dog ownership isn’t for everyone.  

We  will always be the first to suggest a greyhound to anyone interested in  adding a dog to their family, because they are such versatile and  loving dogs, but a lot of hard questions need to be asked and answered  before you commit to any hound.

Without  a doubt, dogs bring a vast array of benefits to us, but it is a  double-edged sword…especially when we come to their final days.  There  is little in this world that is more heart breaking than losing a  greyhound, be it from old age, injury or illness…