If you believe all the hype, having a dog can contribute to healthy aging.
“They boost quality of life,” according to an AARP article titled “10 reasons to get a dog when you’re over 50.”
“Dog ownership is associated with better cardiovascular health, decreased loneliness and lowered likelihood of depression,” Psychology Today says, and a study included in the National Library of Medicine database reached similar conclusions .
But none of these experts has tried to take my new beagle for a walk.
I should admit that my record with animals is not spotless. I once fostered a dog that ran away 10 minutes after I got him home, and a furious employee at the rescue agency called me an idiot.
For several years my garden was repeatedly torn up by raccoons , and I tried to drive them away with cayenne pepper, moth balls, motion-sensor sprinklers and coyote urine . When all of that failed, I hired an animal communicator who said she “connected” with the raccoons, who told her they wanted me to show them more respect. I was tempted, instead, to adopt a coyote.