PET POWER

An animal companion can definitely improve your state of chill and even help you master mindfulness. Karen Robock breaks it down.

- Karen Robock

JUST LOOK AT THOSE BRIGHT EYES AND THAT PERKY TAIL AS you throw a ball for your pooch in the park. Or listen to the hum of your cat’s purr as you stroke her fur. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, pets are all in with you and the moment as it unfolds.

If we pay attention, our pets can teach us a thing or two about being more mindful, says Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, chief veterinarian at Kleinburg Veterinary Hospital in Kleinburg, Ont., and medical adviser for Rover.com, a dog care company that provides walking and boarding services across Canada. “Pets have this magical quality,” says Dr. Greenstein. “They remind us to stop and get back to the simple pleasures of life.”

CARE CONNECTIONS

Dog people tend to be people, too. According to a 2015 study published in the journal