I have separation anxiety. I’m stuck in locked-down Sydney without my dog

For easy tick removal, apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball and swab the tick with the cotton ball for a few seconds.

I am a late-life convert to dogloverism. I fought the entire progress of dog acquisition from the moment my dog-soppy, fur-brained partner mooted it four years ago. “You can only get a dog if I’m the one who names it,” was as brilliant as my tactics got in a strategy to dissuade him from the purchase once the deposit was laid down. Was my partner really prepared to wander round the local park screaming “Germanicus Ulysses!” into the bushes if the mutt caught the scent of a rabbit? He wasn’t merely prepared; he was elated. The dog arrived the next day, my love for the soft, precious thing flowered, and we have both been screaming “Germ! GERM!” into the bushes ever since.

Did you hear that? Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the Hertz, the higher-pitched the sound. Dogs hear best at 8,000 Hz, while humans hear best at around 2,000 Hz.

If I adored the dog before the pandemic, my relationship with him since the seemingly endless cycles of lockdown began has transformed into the symbiotic. My sausage-shaped shadow and I have been a constant pair. In the before times, the churn of locations and colleagues in my career as a subcontracting freelancer was as loud as the whirr of my packed social life. Into the sudden social silence wandered the dog, with opportune cuddles and wise eyes, and the occasional bullying shove with his nose to get me off the couch and into the yard with him, or a stomping insistence he be taken to the park for an airy rabbit chase and a walk.

Your dog needs his own cozy spot as well, preferably a crate, a comfy bed that’s his alone and a selection of appropriate toys.

The dog has not just been a sponge for our need to interact that we haven’t often been able to enjoy in person with our friends. He’s been our carer, too. His demand for routine has prevented us from sliding into the fog of lockdown’s indistinct hours. He needs to eat, so we eat; he decides to go to bed, and we follow him. He becomes delighted by a butterfly or obsessed with a stick and shows us that confined space does not have to mean restricted joy. He gets scared of the wind and barks at it and reminds us that a world exists beyond lockdown and our house.

Care for your pet. Regular visits to the vet and groomer are absolutely necessary. Insuring your pet may also be important to your pet’s health. Emergencies can happen at any time. Ensure your pet gets the help he needs no matter the cost with pet insurance.

‘The chemical effect of my companion is an also an increase in serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that my brain, even with pills, can’t properly manage on its own.’ Photograph: Supplied

I have known life with a depressive disorder and PTSD longer than I’ve known the dog and can vouch for the positive difference he has made to my illness. Studies confirm that the bond between a loving owner and dog is a chemical one, that both species release the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin over the length of their mutual gaze. The chemical effect of my companion is an also an increase in serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that my brain, even with pills, can’t properly manage on its own. Dogs reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. The intimate analysis they make of your facial expressions means that they can listen and respond when you talk about your problems even if they’ll never understand them.

The logic of pet companionship in these lonely times drove pandemic purchases of dogs because it was obvious. Little wonder stories of “pandemic puppies” dumped on shelters after lockdowns eased went viral. As studies compare the chemical bond between humans and dogs to that of nursing mothers and infants, the idea of abandoning either no doubt provokes a similar instinctive moral scorn.

The tick should come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you remove it.

Yes, costs of upkeep and vets can become too much for some people to maintain. Given the health benefits of dogs, there are maths that can and should be worked out about providing community veterinary services as a form of cost-efficient health support.

With profound relief I read that “No, People Are Not Returning Pandemic Dogs in Droves”, and was reassured that for many, separation was unthinkable. There have been many recommendations, too, about preparing dogs against anxiety for when owners must once again leave home to work.

But what if the anxiety’s in the opposite direction?

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: The American Veterinary Dental Society states that 80% of Dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.

We are hardly the hardest-hit family of corona, but ongoing frustration and calamity have hurt every family in its own way. My partner and I can, at least, commiserate about our separation in our daily phone calls. I am grateful I can be with my mum.

The dog hears only the distant crackle of my voice if those calls are on speaker and he becomes distressed. He searches for me in the yard. My partner has given him my empty dressing gown to sleep on so he can settle at night.

Goldfish have a reputation as short-lived creatures, but given proper care, they can live as long as 30 years in captivity. The oldest captive goldfish ever recorded was won at a fair in 1956 and died in 1999 at age 43.