This Little Golden Puppy Saved My Life

My daughter suggested we name him Elliot since we had been binge watching Pete's Dragon.

I am not much of a writer (or a photographer for that matter) but I like to take what's rattling around in my head and lay it down on paper or even Word. It's a nice feeling to let your brain put all those thoughts and feeling through to your fingers.

But before I start, let me introduce myself. My name is Chrissy and I am 27 years old. I have a fiance of almost eight years and two wonderful kiddos; one girl and one boy. On October 31, 2017, I drove to Corbin, KY and picked up an 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy. On our way home, my daughter suggested we name him Elliot since we had been binge watching Pete's Dragon. So this is where it all starts.

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For as long as I can remember, I have suffered from depression. I never understood it for the longest time but it's always sort of been there. It would go away for a week, a month, or even a year but it always came back to me. After each of my children were born, the feeling of loneliness would leave for a year or so but again, it always came back. I tried many ways to get it to go away: photography, drawing, writing, different jobs, games, therapy, etc. Yet, nothing worked. Until I met Elliot. This little 8 week old golden baby was a nightmare at first, let me just tell you. Raising a puppy is 10x worse than raising a child. I mean, at least my dog is potty trained in the first year versus my children but at least my child doesn't chew up my shoes. As time went on, I sometimes wondered what the hell I got myself into because this dog was a terror. He was so damn hyper and this was my first dog in years so I was just so unprepared for this. After I finally consulted some trainers, some YouTube videos, some books, and even phone apps (thanks, Puppr!) I was finally starting to understand. Because at the end of the night when my children were calm, Elliot seemed to calm down as well. One night, he walked up to me, climbed into my lap and fell asleep. It was then I noticed that he was a part of this family and I would try my hardest to get it right.

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Now let me stop here. It must look weird that a dog made me happier than my children did.

That's not what I'm saying.

My children are my world and the sweetest freakin' human beings but depression would simply tell me that I was an awful mother and that's how it contributed to it all. My brain would tell me things that weren't real. My babies still come first. If you have a dog and children, you understand.

Anyways. Let's continue.

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As time went on, I started to notice how badly Elliot wanted to please everyone. He would listen so much better than I ever thought. I mean, it might have been due to the fact I was so impatient at first. Learning how to connect with your dog was the best advice I ever got. My daughter is still obsessed with him to this day. They sleep together, she's taught him cute tricks, they play fetch, etc. He was so gentle with my son who was around six months at the time we got him. He was never rough with the kids, ever. Me on the other hand? Yeah. I got jumped on a lot and nipped at.

And then, I noticed my depression was depleting. Was it gone? Of course not but I wasn't feeling as sad and lonely all the time. It was like, Elliot knew. We bonded more than ever. This dog and I started extensive training as our new goal is getting him Canine Good Citizen certified and then moving on to Emotional Support certified. I want to be able to take him to hospitals and let people feed off of the loving personality this dog offers. I want other people to see how amazing this boy is and how much he wants to please everyone. He is the best thing that has happened to me for my depression and I am so grateful that I drove the two hours to pick him up and I am happy that I never gave up.

This little golden puppy saved my life.

Photos of my babies taken by the beautiful Mandy Triplett Photography

Photos of Elliot taken by Ricketty Road Photography aka me!

Not sponsored by Puppr to post them!