Interesting Facts about Therapy Dogs

There is no better therapy than the friendship of a dog. Every day around the world millions of people experiences the incredible bond between dogs and humans. This is the foundation of what is becoming such a great mode of therapy for a lot of people in nursing homes, health care facilities, and hospitals.

However, therapy dogs are generally found in schools, hospitals, assisted living facilities and retirement areas, so it would definitely help you and your puppy to keep them as well qualified as possible so they will work effectively in public areas. They have also been proven to give alleviation of fears under tragic circumstances. People who have learning disabilities may also find these dogs beneficial to them.

One of many early uses of therapy dogs began during World War Two. People arriving to see hurt soldiers could often carry their dogs, or in some situations also the injured soldier's dog, to brighten them up. It actually was discovered that not only did the dog lift the spirits of the particular person being visited but also other people in beds nearby.

At some time it became evident that also a basic day visit at the zoo could become an impressive experience to many individuals experiencing a selection of problems. But therapy dogs are not only used to guide people who have real physical issues, but they are also used to minimize anxiety, the genuine lowering of one's blood pressure levels and basically getting a person in a better mood irrespective of what could be worrying them at any given time. The usage of these animals has also been rising recently involving children with presentation and mental concerns.

Different types of Therapy Dogs

There are two recognizable kinds of Therapy Dogs. The most familiar once are used for visiting long term health care facilities, nursing homes, schools, and hospitals. They are called, “Therapeutic Visitation Dogs". Another type of therapy dog is the "Animal Assisted Therapy Dogs”. This classification of Therapy Dog is used for people who may have physical or mental illnesses.

These dogs may be of any breed or size. Golden retrievers are one of the hottest varieties due to their peaceful personalities. Therapy dogs must be peaceful, helpful and soft. Commonly, regardless of breed, older dogs may show to be the most successful for this specific purpose versus a high strength pup. Yet again, that is where service dog certification education will come into play, to ensure these animals present their greatest behavior.

Even though some pets could have a great effect on an animal lover basically by presenting the calm, helpful and soft attributes stated earlier, it certainly will be useful to further train these animals as well. The response to basic directions like, 'come', 'sit' or 'keep' could make it much easier to be out and about in a public area. Additional directions such as, 'paws up', 'back' and 'forward' could be very practical in setting these animals up to give the greatest therapy conditions.

How to recognize a Therapy Dog

Therapy dogs are generally recognized by a colored vest, cape or jacket with a special patch sewn onto the garment. The St. Johns Ambulance Therapy Dog program in Canada uses a special bandana and an ID card which shows the dog has been tested and certified. Each state or province may have its own method of recognizing a Therapy Dog team. It may include many of the fore mentioned attire or ID cards or the dog handler may wear a special shirt or vest indicating they are a qualified team.

Access Laws

As stated at the beginning of this informative article, while therapy dogs are not typically identified by law as service dogs, there are numerous agencies that both examine and give qualifications for these animals. One of them being the American Kennel Club. Some of this assessment tests the dogs in not being reluctant about canes or people in wheelchairs. Some other assessment criteria guarantee that they behave well with children and the elderly. The effect of quick, loud tones also is discovered. A Therapy Dog that is known as a "Therapeutic Visitation Dog" doesn’t have the same access privileges as the "Animal Assisted Therapy Dogs".