The Importance of Touch

I am a tactile person. I always have been. When I see another person suffering, emotionally or physically, my first instinct is to reach out a hand, to let them know they are not alone. And when I am suffering, that’s what I want to- simple physical contact with another being.

Even knowing that about myself, though, the last week with Smokey really brought home to me how our relationship with pets is really defined by touch. We pet them, play with their ears, scritch their chins, give kisses, etc. Pretty much every interaction I have with my dogs has a tactile component.

For his last week, if I was home, Smokey liked to be near me. And I desperately needed to be near him. Whenever possible, I was in physical contact with my baby- even if it was just my foot resting against his leg while he slept at the foot of the bed. Being able to touch him made me feel better, and I hope helped him feel how loved he was.

I firmly believe that dogs understand this need. Moree wasn’t much of a cuddler, but on days when I was really down or upset, he would come up and give me his little lamb kisses and then settle in next to me.

In the first few days after we lost Moree, Smokey spent the majority of his time squeezed into the space between C and I.

Junebug has always loved to cuddle, but there’s been more of it lately. Mostly she would cuddle with us, but in the last month or so, she really started cuddling with Smokey. In his last week, she was as likely to be touching him- her nose resting on one of his paws –as she was one of us.

Maybe I’m alone in this, but one of the most comforting things in the world for me is to be able to place my hand on my sleeping dog’s side and feel them breath.