There are a wide variety of therapy and emotional support animals used to improve the physical and mental health of individuals in places such as in hospitals, schools, nursing homes and pediatric facilities. These animals, whether it’s a dog, bunny, or horse, are all trained to allow people to stroke, play, and be friendly with those in need of their company, especially children.
Guide dogs are used for the visually impaired, assisting people in public places and keeping them safe from unexpected obstacles they are unable to detect. Hearing service dogs are helpful at home and in public, detecting sounds such as alarms, doorbells and even oven timers.. While most deaf people have strategies for noticing these alarms, it is crucial for these service dogs to alarm their owner for any unexpected sounds. Seizure and response dogs are specially trained to be able to tell if their owner is about to have a seizure and warn them before they notice. In situations where seizures come quickly or frequently, many of these dogs can also make sure their owner is safe from injuries during a seizure episode by protecting their head before a fall. Because dogs have amazing noses and a sense of smell, diabetic alert dogs can actually detect scent changes in your blood glucose levels, which is helpful for people with diabetes. If there is a suspicious scent change in their human’s blood level, the dog is trained to alert the owner, or in cases of younger children they are trained to alert someone else in the household. In highly trained dogs, they know when to call for help by setting off an alarm or repeating the same alert notice. Dogs are extremely aware of their owner’s emotional responses to situations, which is why they make for such great service animals.
Psychiatric service dogs are known to support people with mental health disorders such as PTSD, (post traumatic stress disorder), anxiety or depression because they are so emotionally aware of their owner. These dogs are trained to know when their owner is exhibiting behaviours that lead to panic attacks, anxiety attacks and flashbacks. They are trained to enter spaces first, turning lights on before their owner enters, providing a partner in life to help them feel less alone, and even knowing when what their human really needs is some space from other people by positioning their bodies between them. Autism service dogs also support people with autism emotionally. People with autism sometimes struggle to connect with people, especially in social scenarios, so having a friend in their pup is comforting. A child or person with autism may have a dog to make sure they can alert parents and guardians in dangerous situations, provide stress relief, and often assist them in therapy sessions.
Therapy dogs and emotional support animals are trained differently, but still support people with the following struggles:
- Depression
- bipolar disorder
- Autism
- ADHD
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- recovering from difficult surgery or a traumatic accident
Petting, playing, or just being accompanied by dogs is very calming for people with anxiety, ADHD, or depression. Therapy dogs specialize in bringing a person comfort through physical touch and companionship, and anyone is able to get one to live in their family home. Any breed of dog can qualify as a therapy dog, but many of them still require serious training in order to fulfill their owners needs. It is smart to do you research on the size of your dog’s breed, their typical behaviors, and ability to listen to instruction during training. This training can be done as a puppy while the dog is living in your home, and after a few years of consistent instruction, they become masters of companionship.
