The Power of Pets to Relieve Stress Is Overstated

It took me a long time to figure out how my stress effects my dogs’ behavior.  My inability to deal with my stress, I should say.  I always figure that if I’m still standing and still moving around, moving my lips, thinking and talking, I always figured that that is all I needed to be functional.  Most people don’t see me in this state.  I pace from room to room.  I straighten stuff.  I move stuff.  I pitch stuff.  I yell at the last person I talked to, even though they aren’t there.  My dogs see all this and do their thing.  They start pacing with me.  They run toward the front door.  They look at their leashes piled by the door.  They look at me for direction.  This thing builds to a crescendo and then I yell something. They just look at me confused and bark, bark, bark.