Admissions Essay: Caring For My Golden Retriever

Previous to starting therapy dog training it is imperative that you are aware of the reason behind the practice as a whole and the benefits of a correctly trained therapy dog. The responsibility of the therapy dog is to offer companionship, comfort to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and medical centers and to aid in the rehabilitation process, as they attend schools and library's to listen to children read,

Most of the therapy dogs come from a selective breeding program known as the American Kennel Club (AKC). These dogs go through several months of obedience training and must be able to strictly follow commands. These dogs must also feel comfortable in the presence of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, oxygen tanks, food carts, and any other equipment patients and therapists use. A number of studies have demonstrated that the presence of therapy dogs serve to increase the quantity and quality of positive attention directed toward the physically handicapped by both familiar individuals and

In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.

I’ll be getting an autism service dog soon, and I’m really looking forward to it. I think the dog will be a great help to me as I finish up high school and prepare for college. Recently, I was telling my friend about my dog, andshe wasn’t sure how my service dog would be different from a regular dog.I realized that many people probably don’t know much about them.

I have been in the world of rodeo since the day I was born. My father and sister have always been involved, along with other members of my family: such as my uncles, aunts, and cousins. I guess you could say that rodeo is a family affair, so indubitably I also fell into suit and began my own rodeo career. I have had successful and not so successful intervals throughout the course of my rodeo pursuits; either way each and every one of them have been memorable in their own right. I started competing at the age of ten on a horse that my family called Dewey. Dewey was a sorrel gelding that my father roped off of and I ran barrels on. He was the type of horse that was lazy and only moved by force; we were alike in this way. We had constant success as a duo, I wouldn’t have traded him for

A therapy dog is skilled to care and offer comfort to patients in hospitals, retirement homes, schools, catastrophe area, and people with learning complications. From a different perspective, a service dog is an assistance dog trained specifically to help persons with disabilities including autism, hearing and visual difficulties. The dogs aid cognitive therapy enabling the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) victims to expose themselves gradually to feelings and thoughts reminding them of the past. The dogs offer comfort, affection, and companion that enable the victims to relax triggering the sense of flashback within them. Flashback is critical in the treatment process of PTSD.

There has been a long history with animals and their natural bonds with humans for many decades now. Dogs have helped people with a multitude of illnesses for some time now, however Americans were not the first to discover this natural trait in animals. The Germans during World War 1 were the first to discover this. In the book, History of Guide Dog Use by Veterans it states that the German army in particular “relied heavily on the use of German shepherds as ambulance and messenger dogs. The Germans reportedly used more than 25,000 dogs during World War I. ' these dogs were ideally suited for this type of work, with ell-known traits such as trainability, loyalty, intelligence, strength, and endurance” (Ostermeier 587). In today 's society, we have numerous people who are unaware of the services that animals can provide for humans. Specifically humans with mental or physical disabilities. In this paper I will present various types of service animals as well as the many services they provide.

Some disabled people feel very disconnected from normal people, but a service dog helps them overcome that, and also become more independent. “Service dogs seem to positively influence socialization and community participation in a variety of environments. Two studies observed partnerships in natural environments (Eddy et al., 1988; Mader et al., 1989) and reported that community members smiled and conversed with children and adults with service dogs more than children and adults without service dogs, and community members did not avoid the person with a disability as much when a service dog was present” (Winkle, Crowe, and Hendrix 57). Service dogs allow disabled people to do more things on their own, with the help of the dog, and feel like they do not have to rely on other people to help them as much. In addition, when a disabled person has a service dog, they have a companion that is by their side throughout the day, boosting their confidence. Presnall writes: “Jennifer had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of sixteen… ‘I felt kind of repulsive and unlovable in that wheelchair,’ [Jennifer] says. ‘But I knew a service dog would look at me and just think I was cool’ ” (8). More evidence of this is proven with the bond between David, a man who had both of his legs amputated above his knees, and his dog Inca. “Inca’s arrival has made a huge difference to David’s life, both emotionally and physically” (Bidder 48). Thus, service dogs impact their

2006- Joining Focus children organization – This was the first nonprofit organization that I ever joined. It dealt with handicap kids in developing countries. I believe that I became sensitive to co-cultures that exist in our world. It made me realize how hard it is for others to try and live and adapt to the dominant culture.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Service Dog program focuses on training dogs with skills necessary to provide support to individuals with physical and mental health problems, specifically anxiety, panic disorders and depression. The organization itself does not provide service dogs to individuals. However, it provides soft benefits by assisting individuals with finding training professionals in their local areas. The training professionals in turn partner individuals with mental health problems with trained service dogs. Through the Service Dogs program individuals are provided with other soft benefits as well as they are directed to training schools and organizations with lesson plans, manuals, consulting services, and specific training support. Additionally, the program offers educational opportunities through public speaking events, clinics and seminars.

My project did end up similar to what I planned in the beginning. I met my goal to learn as much as I could about therapy dogs but the piece of the project that didn’t turn up exactly how I expected was, again, the fact that I couldn’t get my dog a certification because of his age. This sort of wrecked my plans as far as bringing my dog into a nursing home myself. Looking back, I can only be grateful for a backup plan - my grandma’s dog, Shadow.

A healthy Labrador Retriever will normally defecate firm stools once or twice a day. However, if your Labrador Retriever passes semi-solid or liquid stools more often than usual, then he is probably suffering from canine diarrhea. Diarrhea is common in Labrador Retrievers because of their hearty appetites. They tend to eat anything, digestible and non-food objects alike, especially if their owners are not looking. With immediate attention and proper care, diarrhea caused by ingesting foreign objects can be treated within a day or two.

I feel that I have accomplished quite a bit considering my brief time in policy work. I have exercised an amendment, been elected leader of my Boy Scout Troop and advised a university department on policy that affected a lot of people. What I am most proud though is how I spent my time fighting for social change with CYC. CYC is all about social change. The organization works on social change on a county level or local level and also a statewide level. The organization is made up of chapters that cover the county in which they are. I am part of Humboldt county chapter. The chapter work on an issue identified at a state level but also tackles something important to the young people in that county. The statewide issue is chosen at an annual summer conference in which current and former foster youth spend three days coming up with changes they would like to see in the foster care system. Those recommendations are narrowed down further and taken to legislators in Sacramento asking for an author for a bill so the idea can become a law. I have been part of this entire process. It is very powerful to sit in front a state senator and ask them not to separate siblings while telling about the fear of never seeing your sister ever again. It bring great joy when the director of the local Health and human services commits making sure every foster youth in their county has someone in their life that is important to the youth because the director had lunch with you and heard the impact that had on you.

Starting in sixth grade and every year since then I have competed in the Wisconsin State 4-H Horse Speaking and Demonstration competition. This event is held at UW-Marathon county each May. I have competed and received awards in team demonstrations, individual demonstrations, and prepared speech. I have won top tens under the topics of horse treat preparation, equine first aid, dealing with natural disasters, and the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a horse. I have earned reserve champion in the topics of equine safety and the benefits of therapeutic riding. I have also received grand champion and given the incredible opportunity of moving on to speak at the national level. I presented at Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio twice, in 2014 and then again in 2015. In 2014 I was also able to compete in the category of individual demonstration 4-H Eastern Nationals in Kentucky. I received a ninth out of about twenty participants, with demonstration on equestrian vaulting. I will be speaking at Kentucky again this year in the prepared speech

• The last and major roadblock is my confidence, I have none, due to childhood experience I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and my severe reaction to an array of environmental factors, which most people don’t care to understand. It is essential to understand that a service animal can alert me to these factors, due to my limitation of getting out in public, my dog has lost a lot of her social skills. Personally training her as well as formal schooling, through CCCC at Chatham County Campus, has not helped in educating the public. It has been a constant fight that leaves me extremely exhausted due to the ignorance that surround the