Ask Teddy

Have a problem, a quandary or a gloomy Tuesday? Write to Teddy. He promises to answer with his whole heart. Send questions to teddy@walthamtimes.org.

Q. I voted yesterday and then over-indulged in some Election Day bake sale brownies. Now I feel a bit off-kilter, not quite myself. Is it because I imbibed too much sugar and chocolate, or is it anxiety about our political situation? How can I tell the difference? 

A. I’m not allowed to have chocolate (bad for dogs!). While I have no first-dog insights to offer specifically about chocolate, I have occasionally (as a public service) helped my grandma and human grandnieces by accepting too many fatty food scraps from under the table. With regard to sensing election-related anxiety (or human anxieties in general), it’s in my doodle DNA to care for the pack. That includes always sniffing out the emotions present in the room. To answer your question, it really doesn’t matter. What you really need to know is how to feel better. Whether I sense distress from snack-related belly blow-ups or from snarling voices on TV, I find the best chance for relief is to take my humans for some fresh air. I’ve been working hard to train them over the last three years, and they’ve learned to respond fairly quickly when I whine my commands: Outside NOW!