I had a number of doctors telling me I should get a therapy dog. "A DOG!!" I'd scream at them. "What part of this fatigue do you NOT understand??? If I cant walk or potty myself, how in the world do you expect me to walk N potty a dog!!!!" So, after a year of them constantly suggesting a DOG - I -during a flare when one can do nothing put gaze at life as it passes you. So, I was scrolling down Petfinders when Lo and Behold I SAW him! A gold freckled nose cocker spaniel. I used to describe the fatigue as either being weighed down with 1000lbs on all limbs or as if I were trying to walk thru a thick massive wall. Well, I now walk 1 1/2 hr at 6am, 30mins at 10am, 30 mins at 2pm, 1 1/2 hrs at 6pm, and 30 mins at 10pm. In the beginning the poor mutt dragged me all over the place. Had to pull my feet to move or walk. I now am the Alpha dog and he heels beautifully at my side as we track through the woods in search of rabbits! I no longer have the heavy weightedness in my legs or arms, breathing is better, ...all is better-hugely better and I can hardly believe it. I am in the middle of my usual 8 week flare-up and I am not suffering near as terribly as I used to. Still have to drag myself up and out ...but once I get going all symptoms seem to improve. Its a miracle for me and he keeps me company on my fatigue moments. Gotta love those DOCS!

Wow. What a wonderful thing! Thanks for sharing, Tresa. I needed a pick-me-up today.

Hi Tresa,

This is such an enjoyable and refreshing post. Thank you for sharing it with us. I believe taking care of the dog, (who takes care of you too), and getting you moving around has made a tremendous difference in your life.

When I was a distance runner, before the symptoms took over, I would say to myself, "I don't feel like running today so I will just go out, warm up, stretch a little, and maybe do a mile or two." It never failed that once I'd reach that point I was feeling so revived and good I just kept on going.

OK! I know this is blatantly lying to myself to get me initially going, but who cares, it works. It seems to work with you too.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

Thanks everyone: I just would NEVER have believed a dog could have made just a dramatic change in my life. I had the inabaility to get my own self up to go out to do anything and when I would manage to get up and going, the fatigue would shut me down fast. But, for some reason the dog forces me to keep going and that's what helped. It was very pathetic in the beginning and I thought I was going to have to get a wagon for him to drag me around in-lol-but inch by inch and day by day it just started to reverse to where I started to feel "normal walking". Last few days I am shuffling as I walk but I am OUT there!! And it feels so good! Soaking up the vitamin d too. Best thing I have done for my health and self.

So, are you obedience training your puppy, and training it to be an assistance dog? Or is he just a buddy right now?

What's his name and do you have pictures?? You tell us about this dog, but you dont post pictures! I wanna see the puppy!

When I had a dog (he died just before my MS decided to make itself known) he was the reason I got up every morning. He would insist that I get up and feed him and scratch his back and basically make him the center of my world. He'd wake me up by grabbing a mouthful of my bed's mattress and shake the bed. Or he'd stick his nose over the side of the bed and do his "feed me/take me to the potty whine.

I miss that dog. My dog's name was TinyMonsters. Best dog I ever had. (every dog I've had was the best dog I ever had, but Tiny was definately my favorite)

Thanks, you made my day and my Dog's..

Oh, Erin...that's so sad your puppy is gone. I got "Buddy" from a shelter and after I got him home we discovered he had been a professional "Show Dog". Bows to have a leash put on, perfect in all commands, knows all agility tricks, and we think he was trained to be a therapy dog as he displays the most extraordinary gentleness and manners. I got the dog of my dreams!! He refuses to leave my side and the other day, he actually kept pushing me back down on recliner when I was struggling to get up and telling him "let's go walk!!" He truly was telling me "NO" as if he knew I was too tired. This dog NEVER refuses to go outside-so it was rather amusing. One day, he suddenly jumped up from a deep sleep and began his "God Dance". So, I kept asking him "what?" and he'd run to the front door of apt to go out. So I got up and he dragged me full speed ahead down the hall, down the elevator, dragged me to a door we had never used before and Voila! There was Ruthie sitting outside. He suddenly sat down just a waggin his little butt 90 miles a min. I asked Ruthie how her day was and apparenty it had been horrible ( she goes to dialysis) and she burst into tears. Buddy sat staring with great intensity. I asked her if she wanted to pray the rosary and OHHHH she was so delighted. I looked over at Buddy who burst into a grin from ear to ear and he suddeny plopped down and went right to sleep! Dumbfounded beyond words, I sat down next to Ruthie and we prayed. So whenever he does his little dance, I now call it the "God Dance". I dont have any way to do pictures cuz 1) I dont know how!!!LOL. But he is waaayyyy adorabe and beautiful. Your puppy sounded so adorable with tons of personality.

Sounds like Buddy is the perfect "buddy". You lucked out, getting a dog that knows all the obedience commands. Does he know the "wait" command? That was the best one I ever taught to TinyMonsters.

Tiny loved food. Only way I could feed him without becoming part of his dinner was to tell him to "sit" and "wait" before I put his food down for him. He would sit there, staring very intently at his food...occasionally looking at me expectantly with a "please! Can I eat now?!", and usually talking to me like Chewbacca. Sounded just like a Wookiee.

He wouldnt break the "wait" command. We accidentally left him sitting there a couple of times without saying "ok" to let him eat. Go back a few minutes later, and he's sitting there, drooling and looking really annoyed.

Tiny was a Bouvier des Flandres. There's a myth about bouviers that when George Lucas was writing Star Wars, that he owned a bouvier at the time and that he recorded his dog "talking" and used that for Chewie's voice in the movie. I totally believe it, because Tiny sounded just like Chewie.

I think Tiny would have been a good assistance dog. I didnt know I had MS at the time...the big symptoms didnt start hitting me until 2 weeks after Tiny died. But, I'd had a few minor symptoms happen to me before. I would get vertigo several times a year. Tiny always seemed to know when I was dizzy, because he would be really careful around me, and didnt mind if I used him to pull myself up off the floor. And, when I would be laying in bed, spinning, Tiny would lay on the floor in the room with me, and just keep me company. He'd go ask my parents if he wanted food or to go outside. Wouldnt bother me at all when I was spinny.

I think Tiny was murdered...we had this nasty neighbor who had two dogs that she was basically neglecting or abusing. She'd let them run free at night and they'd attacked Tiny at least once, and my aunt's pug 2 or three times. (my aunt lives next door to them)

We think the neighbor lady had left a hot dog or something she'd booby trapped in her front yard. We'd take Tiny and his best friend Pudge, the pug, for a walk every night. One night, Tiny ate something in her yard. He dragged me into the yard to get it. I never saw what it was.

He was dead about 2 1/2 days later. After Tiny died, my aunt found a pristine looking hot dog on her back patio. She got it before Pudge did, and threw it away, but it was weird. How did a pristine looking raw hot dog get on her back patio. (our neighborhood doesnt have fences between the yards) There was a bit of a feud going on with the neighbor. She had been letting her two dogs run free and they were pooping all over the neighborhood. They had also attacked Tiny and Pudge a couple of times. Pudge got hurt during her attacks. (both times those dogs managed to get into my aunt's house and jumped Pudge) She had neurological problems from having her back injured.

My aunt's yard was full of debris from those dogs, and she was picking it up with our pooper scooper and putting it on the neighbor's yard. (so was our next door neighbor, who also seemed to have a yard that was a favorite of those dogs)

The week after Tiny died, about 50 pounds of dog poo appeared on our front lawn. My aunt had about 100 pounds dumped on her back patio. That neighbor divorced her husband and moved out. (watched her pack her pickup truck)

Pudge died 2yrs to the day that Tiny died. (weirdly enough, that was the same day that my previous dog, a poodle, had died. 3 of my favorite dogs, all died on the same day, years apart from each other) Pudge had all that nerve damage from being attacked by those dogs...and had been run over once by an old guy who lost control of his van right in front of my aunt's house. Didnt think she'd actually been hurt then, but apparently it made the back injury a little worse.

That neighbor moved back in with her husband about a year ago. Didnt bring the dogs back with her. Which is a good thing. They were abusing those dogs. Used to chain them in the unheated garage, to the garage door. They were chaining the dogs because the dogs had actually eaten their way thru the wall in the garage and got into the house and trashed it. (wouldnt you, if your owner were locking you in a cold garage in the middle of winter? Poetic justice too) I guess they'd never heard of these great inventions called "dog crates".

We were trying to get the humane society to either catch the dogs, or fine their owners for being mean to them.

I was so traumatized by Tiny dying, that I didnt have the vet do a necropsy. He only tested Tiny's bloodwork and said that it didnt show any of the usual suspects for an accidental poisoning. We never had them check for anything else. But I talked to that vet last year, and he said he thought it was weird how fast Tiny died. He wished he'd done a necropsy too. Apparently Tiny was a favorite patient of his. Tiny was only 9 1/2 when he died. Large dogs dont live very long...10 to 12yrs most of the time. I still felt really cheated that he left. (or was taken away) I thought he'd be around for a few more years. That's one of the reasons I'm not that eager to get another dog. They die too soon for me. I really loved that drooly furball.

we have been discussing a dog here in this home, but have had kitty trouble, and have been unable to even consider adding stress to the house till the cat is better.. I would require a dog with a bit of training already in him, as I dont have the stuff that it takes to go thru puppy hood all over again. I had a companion animal that we had to put to sleep at 16 y/o. she visited hospitals and nursing homes, and loved to be there. I miss her. Congrats on your buddy and good luck.

Erin - WOW...I'm utterly speechless about your neighbor and ALL that happened. Your little Tiny was sooo obedient to keep the command WAIT and have dindin sitting right there before him. Buddy is HIGHLY trained-he used to compete in the AKC competitions. I wish I knew his full life story. I have convinced him that those days of constaant grooming, crates,travel, constant work at competitions is OVER!! Its all about rest and hunting for rabbiits (his favorite activity) Today, after 5 weeks of searching every inch of fields behind our complex, that darn rabbit jumped out right in front of our eyes from the front yard bush. Buddy and I were both caught off guard but suddenly there was a LOUD whoop of victory and the race for rabbit was on while I stumbled all over my feet as I tried to hold legs together to keep from wetting myself as I was laughing sooo hard. Best laugh I've had in years! My last dog had been a huge 150 lb Lab who had spoiled me with his absolute adoration for me. Its been 8 years since Ive had a dog and I never thought any dog could ever come close to the relationship I had had with Boone. Well, little Buddy far outshines my past Boone. Buddy is 4 yrs old, and way past his puppy years and perfect training in all ways imagineable. Their love, devotion, funny antics make being ill almost a joy now as iy is Impossible to resist him - ill or not. Found him thru Petfinders. Good luck on anyone hunting for that perfect pet.