Webs, Weeds and Wisdom | Find a best friend for life

They cost money for food, for vet bills and for kennel bills if you want to go away. Even leaving them for a while can be difficult with some dogs, and mine sheds hair everywhere. Sometimes she barks her head off at anyone who dares to use the street in front of the house.

What’s more, buying a dog is expensive even if you get a rescue dog, and then you have to make sure that your yard or garden is secure.

Some dogs are unfriendly to other people and to other dogs and this can cause unpleasantness.

But no one in my life has ever shown more joy at my return home than my dog Ellie – and she does it every time – even after just half an hour’s absence.

This is the most uplifting of receptions and lifts my mood incredibly. She loves me totally unconditionally and thinks that I am the best person in the world (and I don’t ask anyone for a second opinion).

She demands nothing in return except food and love. She is friendly with all other dogs and people – she has perfect manners. When I walk with her – which is of course good for my health – I meet and chat with all sorts of wonderful people who only stop because Ellie is with me.

She lets me know if someone is near the house and if she knows them or not – this is the work of a wonderful watchdog.

She only has to sit near me to have an amazing calming effect, and I am already a calm person. If I spill something edible she does the vacuum cleaner act. If it were not for Ellie I would be living alone – she is my friend and companion and I’m sure she gives me more than I give her. I cannot express the joy she brings into my life.

Research has shown that interacting with dogs affects us biochemically by increasing our levels of oxytocin (a hormone involved in social bonding, relaxation, trust, and easing stress).

But don’t just take my word for it here are two websites which offer research to back the benefits of having a dog: http://time.com/4870796/dog-owners-benefits; https://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/11-studies-that-prove-pets-are-good-your-health.

But before deciding that you need a dog, it is important to consider whether or not a dog needs you – for instance if you are out of the house for nine hours a day leaving the dog alone, then probably a dog doesn’t need you and would be better left for a more consistent companion.

There really is something very special about dogs – perhaps it is the many thousands of years during which they have befriended humans which makes them part of the same social system as us. She is my best friend.