Mental Health Support
In reply to the discussion: My husband's bipolar delusions are back [View all]get the red out
(13,655 posts)right after we buried my Dad, went to the humane society as soon as we got home from the funeral, they had two female BC mix puppies available and Mike has always had herding breeds, though I had no dog experience as an adult. Thank God we got there in time to adopt her, the people who had adopted her sister decided they wanted Layla too. Not long after we brought her home Mike had a dramatic bi-polar episode brought on by a change in meds. Having her to take care of really helped me, then she helped him with cuddles when he was on anti-psychotics for a while trying to bring him down out of the mania.
Layla turned out to be an active girl, and that is how we started agility. I was practically a hermit before that, it was the first thing that got me out in the world in about 20 years. I also finally gave in and accepted help for my depression about the time we got her. My younger dog, Shelby, has bad hips and can't do agility, but we are starting to complete in Rally obedience, which is getting to be fun. Without having first gotten Layla I wouldn't have Shelby, who is a lapdog in a Border Collie suit.