Former Bachelor Colton Underwood's Dog Affects His Mental Health

Sure, there are plenty of moments on The Bachelor that we don't see on TV, and there are also disturbing secrets about the franchise's stars that we were never supposed to hear. However, when it comes to former Bachelor Colton Underwood, he's willing to be honest and open with his fans about many aspects of his life. And that includes the fact that he just shared how his dog, Sniper, affects his mental health, specifically his depression and anxiety.

"This dude doesn't know how much he has helped me in his 14 years of life (103 in dog years) — through depression, anxiety, and stressful situations having Sniper by my side has been the best remedy I could have ever hoped for. Love you buddy, can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us," Underwood wrote on a December 18, 2019 Instagram post, along with a photo of himself and Sniper. He ended his message with emojis of a heart and paws, writing, "my best friend."

Underwood's girlfriend Cassie Randolph, who he met during his time as the Bachelor, commented on the post with a simple "gah" as well as a heart emoji, a crying face emoji, and a dog emoji which perfectly represent how others reacted in the comments. One follower wrote, "Dogs are the best." While another added, "Omg, 14yrs. I'm crying. He's soooooo dang cute!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for your best buddy!!!!! He is the sweetest pup, his face." Agreed!

Colton Underwood certainly isn't shy about sharing his love for his dog. In fact, he was so happy with Sniper, that in August 2018, Underwood brought home a second pup, a German Shepherd named Thor. At the time, Underwood explained that his newest family member was "set to be butchered in Korea" before being rescued. "I knew I had to get him," the star wrote.

Fans can now spot both Thor and Sniper on Underwood's Instagram account, either hanging out at the beach, enjoying a swim in the pool (although it looks like at least one pup isn't impressed by the water), snuggling up together, or posing for a "family" holiday photo.

On August 26, 2019, Underwood shared pics of himself and Sniper with a caption that again showed how much he cares about his canine companion, writing, "It's #NationalDogDay and I just wanted to shoutout my 14-year-old best friend.... in dog years for a lab that's like 103 years old. We have been through a lot buddy, I got your back... you got mine."

Underwood even likes to spend time with other dogs, including his mom's newest addition as well as an injured pup who was in recovery. He also informed his Instagram followers (while sharing a shot of himself holding a small Hawaiian shirt-wearing dog in a restaurant), "If I see your dog out in public.... chances are I'm taking a picture with them." Consider yourself warned!