If someone who doesn’t know anything about the Instagram account of @welletas, maybe they’ll just see one of those dog and cat galleries in a familiar environment that they like so much on the Internet.

However, the more than 116,000 followers of its owner, Elizabeth Spence, are not just because her photographs of pets and family are of very good quality (which they are).

His account is popular because there is a story in it that touches and has been explained in the lines that accompany the images. Its main characters are the baby Archie and his little dog, Nora .

Nora, the traumatized dog

Some of the most common psychological disorders can go into remission and disappear at times simply with the company, support and love of others. This is exactly what happened with Nora the dog.

This adorable animal came into Elizabeth Spence’s family through adoption, as it had previously had other owners. The relationship between Nora and her former owners was marked by violence and mistreatment , which deeply traumatized her and made her begin to fear almost everything: objects pushed by the wind, other dogs, unknown places and, of course, human beings.

Naturally, Elizabeth could not resort to words to try to calm her little dog. Unlike what would have happened if Nora had been human, there was also no possibility of turning to a therapist who would modify the ideas from which she interpreted the traumatic events that had occurred, or who would improve her self-esteem by questioning her beliefs. There was no abstract thought to be fixed, only pure emotion, which could not be reached by conversation.

Fortunately, another family member could treat Nora as an equal, and establish an emotional connection with her through the simplest thing in the world : physical contact. It was Archie, who at that time had not completed his first year of life.

The bond between baby Archie and Nora

Archie, in his natural curiosity, soon became interested in Nora. At first it was difficult to get them together in the same place, but the baby’s gentle and calm character eventually convinced Nora that there was no significant danger at her side .

The simplicity of Archie’s contact, his movements and the tranquility he expressed began to act as a balm. In a short time, Archie went from being a threat to becoming an oasis of peace, one of the few available when everything is scary. The emotional bond that was created between the two became an anchor that Nora could begin to use to keep in touch with moments of well-being and tranquility.

Today, Nora has not yet been able to forget all the suffering she has experienced, and she does not act as a perfectly healthy dog would. Fear is still there, lurking, and appears in a disruptive way taking away many of the moments that Nora would not want to get rid of. But Archie was and still is someone with whom Nora can be herself: in the affection expressed by the little one she recognizes herself as a being who is loved and who deserves to be loved .

The nature of love between dogs and humans

This is not the only case in which we see how the affection between dogs and humans can deeply affect the emotional states of both species.
For example, research has shown that something as simple as looking into a dog’s eyes for several seconds in a row is able to make the dog’s oxytocin levels rise, which is very interesting, because this substance secreted by the body is considered the hormone of love and emotional bonding.

In general, in psychology it is established that the strongest and most fundamental bonds of attachment are not based on words or on the way we verbally explain what we feel. Something as simple as sleeping leaning on each other is worth a thousand praises and compliments and, although it may seem irrational, it can improve our mood much more if it is done by expressing honest emotions of affection.

Physical contact is the first step of affection

If there is something that Nora and Archie’s story can teach us it is that we should not forget the simplest resources for expressing affection , and use them without excuses. It is a habit that we should claim more, not only because it is pleasant, but because it is a way to make attachment really exist.

As much as we extol the rationality and intellectual character of our species, what really matters is beyond words. It is a language that we all understand, whether we are human or not; and that is why.