What it Takes To Be a Good Therapy Dog
Do you think your dog has what it takes to be a good therapy dog? How do you know of your dog would make a good therapy dog?
Answer these five questions :
- 1. Is your dog calm, or over excited when meeting new people?
- 2. Does your dog react to sounds in a room?
- 3. Does your dog easily distracted?
- 4. Does your dog enjoy being petted?
- 5. Does your dog obey basic obedience commands?
Colleen Demling, expert dog trainer and founder of Pawtopia explains in detail how to make your dog the perfect therapy dog.
It has been proven that mental health challenges and psychiatric disorders respond well to therapy dogs. Patients diagnosed with a range of issues, such as depression, bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Alzheimer’s disease, benefit from therapy dogs.
Sometimes, emotional challenges are the result of physical health problems, and therapy dogs can help with those too. Research suggests that patients who are recovering from illness feel less pain. Interactions can increase the mood-boosting hormone oxytocin and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
Their sweet demeanors and unconditional love have a therapeutic benefit for health challenges. Anyone can enjoy a therapy dog.
Any friendly breed of dog can be a therapy dog with a bit of training. Larger breeds like golden retrievers, standard poodles, and Labradors are common. Smaller breeds like mini poodles and Pomeranians are good choices when the dog and the patient are sharing a small space.
