Dale Carnegie, in his seminal book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, asks, ‘Why do we like dogs?’

The answer is because dogs like us. They are completely non-judgmental and love us unconditionally. They are never bothered if you didn’t work hard at your job; spend money stupidly or embarrass yourself in company – they just love you. (A lovely example of their unconditional love, is to lock your dog and your significant other in the boot of your car for an hour – and see who is pleased to see you when you finally let them out.)

So, if you are prone to depression, especially if you live on your own – get a dog, (obviously circumstances permitting). Without any effort you will be importing, unconditional, constant love into your environment. It is an intrinsic part of human nature to want to be loved. We want our kids, wife, friends, etc, to like us – it is just part of how we are, one of our subliminal needs.

And there are numerous other subtle spin offs that come with getting a dog. One, is it is comforting to have another heartbeat in your surroundings when you wake up every morning, just as it is nice to sleep with another living thing sharing your space. The world doesn’t feel quite as lonely as when you normally go to sleep feeling like the only person on the planet. Of course, if you get a dog – you are duty bound to feed it. That is a blessing because it gives you something you must do – i.e. it is a purpose. The advantages of living with a purpose are numerous and, in many ways, are life savers. You have someone else other than you to think about and that is therapeutic.