Therapy Dogs

The therapeutic use of dogs improves lives of people with disabilities through interactions and engagement. The belief that animals positively influence people has a long history. And It is believed that therapeutic use of animals occurred in Germany in 1867 to treat epilepsy (Dattilo, 1999). The power of using dogs in therapy sessions has a phenomenal effect that brings out emotional and behavioral responses in clientele. It has been a proven fact that animals can be beneficial to humans improving emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual being. Human-animal bond can lower blood pressure, improve health, reduce loneliness, encourage empathy, and provide so many more benefits. There are different types of therapeutic uses for dogs :

Pet Visiting or companion animal: Most of us are familiar with pets visiting nursing homes and other residential facilities. These animals usually are not assisted with a therapist but roam around with a handler meeting and kissing the residents. These animals have been carefully chosen as they have a superb temperament and a caring handler. They visit as many receptive people as they can. The benefits or this type of service is amazing. House hold pets are considered companion animals as they provide lots of unconditional love with out achieving therapeutic outcomes that are not goal oriented.

Service Animals: These animals are trained to assist individuals with a disability to improve quality of life and live as independently as possible. For example, Seeing Eye dogs are trained very early in their lives and if they qualify and pass all requirements will be paired up to a visually impaired person. This qualified service dog will then live with the individual and assist with the independence and quality of life. There are many different types of service dogs, ones that help hearing impaired, assist dogs or canine helper who may help those who have been confide to a wheelchair, or even dogs that help detect seizures. Whatever the service, these dogs are amazing and truly are heroes helping individuals live life to their fullest removing most road blocks to lead an independent life.

Pet Therapy or Animal Assisted Therapy: These types of animals have been properly trained and have the temperament and behaviour to be able to complete goal oriented tasks with clients or patients. Usually this type of dog is accompanied by a therapist, goals are implemented and reactions are documents. For over 16 years, Nancy has been involved with therapeutic dogs or animal assisted therapy. As a trained professional therapist Nancy was responsible for training and utilizing her own dogs in sessions. Some of the goals the dual team worked on could be speech related, may require mobility issues, range of motion, tactile stimulation, reminiscence, memory or other goal specific outcomes. Regardless, during each session, behaviours and reactions are monitored and documented. Outcomes of the sessions were heartwarming and rewarding..