This is Marley, the cairn terrier. I got her in January 2014, roughly a year after I underwent a major depressive cycle. I am estranged from most of my family, have few friends, and I live hundreds of miles away from them. I thought that a dog would be a good company-keeper and force me to interact with the outside world. Most importantly, I had a lot of love but no one to give it to.
Marley was eighteen months old when I got her from the breeder. Unlike most cairns, she is very quiet and submissive, likely due to being the runt of her litter. Despite her quiet demeanor, she is not a cuddle-bug - which suits me, because I am not warm and fuzzy.
Marley has had a front row seat to the worst manifestations of my depression. I have suffered from depression since i was a teenager. I was able to manage with drugs and CBT until I hit my mid 30s, when I experienced my first MDE. While I was lost in the fog of my depression, my devotion to her is what helped me to continue on. Despite my depression, She still had to be walked, fed, taken outside, and played with. After all, it is just her and me — there is no one here to attend to her when I wanna hide from the world.
What I get back from her is immeasurable. When I am down, she snuggles next to me in order to cheer me up. When I stay in bed overlong, she tries to pull the covers off my face.
Right now, she is the only thread that keeps me connected to the world; if something happens to her, I would be gone almost immediately.
In this thread, we talk about our pets and how great they are. Pictures are encouraged but not mandatory (and remember the always-threatening reverse image search!)
