The Different Conditions Therapy Dogs Help Treat

Human kind's best friends truly earn their names when they take on the mantle of therapy or service dogs. Sometimes people confuse the two, but service dogs are specifically trained to assist their disabled owners with certain tasks, whereas therapy dogs provide comfort and companionship to their owners or those in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Therapy dogs can be any size and shape. They must be even-tempered, friendly and patient. Interactions with therapy dogs have been shown to lessen the vast emotional weight that people might be experiencing. Just the sight of a therapy dog entering a space can spread smiles. Therapy dogs are especially helpful in the following circumstances.

Depression & Anxiety

Individuals often experience a lift when seeing a dog out and about; getting to pet and cuddle one is still better and owning one can help bring people back from the brink when it comes to depression and anxiety. Formal research is even showing that therapy animals are effective in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Often, those with either condition avoid contact with the outside world, whether out of stress or fear of what might happen. Both disorders involve negative internal talking to the self as well as emotional turmoil. Therapy dogs can help stop that vicious cycle of negativity by offering comforting companionship and granting their owners a sense of purpose. Even keeping plants has been found to give residents of senior care facilities a renewed purpose; how much better would it be to have a canine companion? Dogs offer complete and total acceptance, as well as unconditional love without any fear of judgment when a person who is depressed and anxious is at their lowest points.

Discover how therapy dogs can help seniors who need a little extra TLC next.

Alzheimer's Disease

While guide dogs for the blind are well-known, and mobility dogs for those with limited mobility and hearing assistance dogs are becoming better known, the public is only just becoming aware of the role of therapy dogs in assisting individuals who suffer from mental problems. The dogs for Alzheimer's Disease have a particular purpose, trained to take their owners home when the patient forgets where they are. Dogs thrive on routine and predictability, hence why they are a wonderful addition to a patient with Alzheimer's life, as these are often the things patient's struggle with. The canines are trained to help their humans throughout the day. This can be by opening the cupboard which contains food and a prominent note reminding the owner to eat as well. An electronic timer can be used to teach a dog when to bring a dog-safe bag of medicine to the patient. Another tone can prompt the assistance dog to walk the owner to the bathroom where other notes can be left with care instructions.

Keep reading to uncover how a therapy dog can greatly improve the life of a child who is on the Autism Spectrum.

Autism

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, one in sixty-eight children has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. While it lacks a cure, Autism assistance dogs can be a highly effective tool in helping patients with the condition improve in behavior, communication, social interaction, and emotions. These dogs are generally geared towards children and are mainly trained to expect a situation with a child, but these dogs can also be helpful for adults with Autism as well. Adults and teens who are severely affected may also benefit from a therapy dog, especially if they will be unable to live independently. Some researchers believe that autistic individuals have heightened levels of sensory input. Dogs can be shelters in the storm when the world is too overwhelming. They can also serve as a much-needed friend for the often lonely life of those who are on the Spectrum. Therapy dogs help calm, reduce repetitive motion, and keep their owners from wandering off, as well as being a deeply bonded soul mate. They also motivate engagement and provide confidence for individuals living with this disorder.

Next, find out how a therapy dog can be a vital resource for an individual who suffers from seizures.

Epilepsy

A seizure dog has been trained to respond to seizures in their owners who have epilepsy. Some dogs are seizure alert dogs; these dogs cannot be trained, but instinctively can sense when a seizure is coming. Researchers do not yet understand what it is triggering the dogs. A reaction dog helps its owner once the seizure has begun. They can bark to alert caregivers, activate an alarm, or move in a way that protects the person who is having a seizure. They can lie next to the person to prevent injury, or can put their bodies between the person having a seizure and the floor to break a fall. Emotionally speaking, they are a comforting lifeline to have. This is a scary condition and knowing that a seizure can strike at any time can be stressful. A therapy dog trained to assist with seizures can be a calming best friend, a reassurance that care is at hand.

Continue reading to reveal how a therapy dog can help those who are dealing with coordination problems.

Coordination & Motor Conditions

A study conducted to determine whether a therapy dog's presence would affect the performances of language-impaired and typical preschool children regarding their gross motor skills found that the dogs were indeed of assistance. As with other therapy dogs, those intended to aid children with coordination and motor conditions must be well socialized and even-tempered to co-exist in a classroom without disruption. The dogs must be helpful, not hindrances. And as with other situations, therapy dogs are invaluable for their owners; providing companionship, providing physical support if they are large enough, and lowering the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, while raising dopamine and oxytocin, happiness and bonding chemicals in the brain.