Dog Therapy In Schools

There are between 45 to 55 million dogs per household in America (American Humane Association 2012). Furthermore, according to a national survey, the majority of dog owners chose to get a dog for the companionship as the major reason for having a dog (American Animal Hospital Association, 2004). After all, dogs are nonjudgmental, give unconditional love, can be trusted with our most intimate feelings and emotions, and are highly intelligent. These dog characteristics can significantly enhance the lives of thousands of youth and adults, especially those with disabilities and/or those who live in continuing care facilities. There are approximately 20,000 service dogs in the U.S., which includes 10,000 guide dogs (American Humane Association 2012)

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.

Thesis: Dogs are everywhere now and days that you see or hear about one almost on a daily basis. But, have you ever thought of personally training one every day to help benefit someone with special needs while receiving unconditional love? Well, today I am going to give you some details about the 4 Paws University

Specifications for service dog accommodations for students will be written into an IEP or 504 Plan. For students in need of a service dog accommodation who do not have a current IEP or 504 Plan, the parent(s) may call the school to request a meeting to convene the IEP/504 team in order to determine which document would be most appropriate for the student. If a student has a current IEP or 504 Plan and requires a service dog accommodation, the parent(s) of the student may request that an addendum be written to add the accommodation to the IEP or 504 Plan.

The well-trained, educated staff have a vital role in coordinating and providing the necessary information to the individuals and families regarding the four types of assistance dogs. Service dogs, Facility dogs, Hearing dogs, and Skilled companion dogs. Having a knowledgeable staff who are able to deliver services, advocate when necessary, provide referrals as well as brokering for the client. These aspects in addition to, it’s structure, funding, collaboration and delivery of services, cultural competence, systems thinking, worker and leadership effectiveness are used in order to enhance or change the lives of individuals. Empowering the consumer is crucial to creating independence, thus meeting the goal of this organization.

In today’s evolving society, there is more mobility that ever for people with disabilities. One of the things that allows this to happen is the use of service animals. Problems however arise when people try to cheat the system. Attempts to pass off pets as service animals, improperly trained animals, and businesses with lack of knowledge on laws all contribute to ongoing frustrations. The need for a centralized training standard as well as government registration and regulation of service animals is clear and immediate. If standards can be established within breeding clubs for “Good Citizen” training, then it can be done for service dogs. Then, once

The next skill I think a dog needs to have is a sense of calmness. From the article Service Dogs, Patients Bond Through

Code P.AW.S program brings a variety of different training methods, that have been proven to be successful. Not only will this provide training for the service animal, but it be a rehabilitating process for the handler (veteran). The rehab is a very important part of the training because the veteran or handler- becomes the “trainer” via proper instruction provider by the P.A.W.S Program. This tactic allows the handler to create a strong bond and partnership with the dog. Creating this relationship will allow the handler to regain leadership skills, communication skills, community rapport and familiarity with techniques associated with public access.

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.

Any child with a disability and Veterans, there is no minimum age requirement for children. There are 5 stages for their service dog placement process. Applications are followed by interview and an official acceptance, then clients must sign an official contract, pay the fee and fundraise, they are then given a class placement notification, and are then allowed to attend training classes in Ohio. For children, families must fill out an application, have a reference letter, and turn in a health form. Children must be under the age of eighteen, or they may be an adult who is not their own legal guardian. They must give their diagnosis, how it limits their daily skills, restrictions and precautions, if they are on any medications or receiving treatments, and if any adaptive equipment is used. For Veterans, they must also fill out an application, have a reference letter, and turn in a health form. Veterans must state if they are a veteran and/or active duty, what operation they served, and if their disability is combat related. They must also give their diagnosis or issues, how their disabilities affect their daily lives, if they have any restrictions or precautions, and if they are on any medication and receiving medical treatment. Each child must attend their 12 day training classes. These classes are held to teach and train the new handler and child how to use their service dog. It is also important to transfer the bond from the trainer over to the child, and not the parent. If the dog bonds to the parent, it becomes harder for the trainer and parent to teach the dog to help the child. The goal is to have the parent/handler work with the child and service dog as a fully functioning team. It is also important that handlers understand how to properly use their service dog, and to teach the handler how to continue training as they

Dogs dramatically impact the lives of people in numerous aspects. Not only do they work for humans tirelessly, but they do it with a smile on their face and a wag in their tail, and they are non-judgmental towards people with disabilities. People utilized the help and companionship dogs provided even hundreds of years ago. However, many people see dogs as futile, considering training, money, time, and work that is put into owning a dog, let alone having it specifically trained to do a certain job. It is also risky putting so much time and effort into a dog, being aware that they are very capable of making mistakes just as humans are. Also, many people do not know the depth of the work that dogs provide, or

Another reason that this program is a bad idea is because some dogs make lots of noise, they might bark at your coworker or whine at you while you’re working because they need lots of care. Dogs would need exercise, water, food, and attention, caring for their needs at

I think it was a great idea. It has helped me and my dog Charisma. After Charisma recovered she was not acting normal. After I brought her to your dog therapy she changed. Now she is normal and healthy again. This is also helping others, not just me. That is why I think your dog therapy was the best idea you’ve ever came up with! Thank you.

The dog becomes the child’s constant companion, the sense of loneliness is taken away from the child. The children in these cases reported increased physical independence and freedom from relying on others to assit in daily tasks (Davis 136). The dogs undergo serious training before being placed with the child. Sometimes the dog and child would actually meet weeks leading up to the placement to warm up to eachother before permanent placement. The parent is the primary handler, the dog is trained to guide the child but ultimately take orders or listen to the parent. The dog is tethered to the child by a harness and put on a leash that the parent carries, this gives the child freedom and the parent security, the dog controls the child from darting off.

Employee Jim Smith, an Iraq War veteran who has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has requested permission to bring his dog, Truman to work with him. Smith has done research and believes that Truman lessens the likelihood that Smith will experience a PTSD-induced panic attack. Truman is not a trained service animal. Company policy prohibits pets from being at work, with the exception of trained service animals, and there are two blind employees who have service dogs at work. Truman does have specialized training; he was a military bomb dog, but the type of training he received is very different from the type of training a service animal receives. Moreover, there is information that Truman attacked one of Smith's neighbor's dogs. Complicating the issue is that another employee has severe pet allergies, which are already exacerbated by the two seeing eye dogs on the premises. Smith is also an ordained minister in the United Church of All God's Creatures (UCAGC), and one of his religious beliefs is that animals should not be left alone at home all day.