Summary Of A Healthy Dose Of Puppy Love

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.

A 2015 study found that 16.1 million adults in the United States had experienced at least one major episode of depression in the past year. This is one of the most common mental illnesses in the country. Anxiety is another common disorder, with about 40 million people suffering from it. It is important that such patients seek treatment early to keep their mental condition from taking a turn for the worse. Another thing that can be of immense help to such people is getting psychiatric service dogs to help them in this battle. Let’s take a look at how such dogs can help patients with depression and anxiety.

“Isolated, his family deteriorating—“I couldn’t show affection, couldn’t hug my kids”—Soliz turned to the Palo Alto V.A. Medical Center” (Colin n.p.) “Soliz says his life is slowly coming back to him and he now can go to the movies without panicking—and hug and kiss his two kids” (Colin n.p.). Moore who explained in her dissertation that, “some of the veterans spoke of ways their Psychiatric Service Dog has bettered their relationships with other people, in particular through increasing interpersonal interactions, Similar to Ensayra and Love's (2008) finding of the dog serving as a "social lubricant”

Medical professionals have recently seen the positive effects animals are able to provide to their patients with mental disabilities. The emotional support dog MA recognizes

Canines also help improve a person’s social and emotional health. In the 2009 New York Times Magazine, Melissa Fay Greene, writes about Karen Shirk in her article titled, “Wonder Dog”. Karen Shirk, a thirty-year-old woman diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular disease, noticed the change in herself and people around her. Strangers greeted the tubed up woman in the motorized chair whenever her dog, Ben, her German Shepard, was around. The despair she said she had once felt was now replaced with optimism and ambition. In present day, Karen Shirk is now CEO of her own facility, which she named 4 Paws For Ability, for cognitively impaired adults and children. In Lisa Field’s article “ 6 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health”, Field’s

Have you ever noticed that dog owners are happier and healthier than non dog owners?Dogs have been used for centuries and we still love them as our trusting companions. There are many reasons that dogs are called a “mans’ best friend”. Having a dog can have many benefits including lower risk of cardiovascular complications, they can improve your mood, and they can help with many physical and mental disabilities in the form of service dogs or mobility support dogs.

Dogs can help us humans with mental health. Many service dogs are used to help people who are deaf or people that are blind. How about people with mental issues? Dogs not only help us with physical problems but also with mental problems like depression. In the article “Therapy pets and humans with mental health issues” the author “ dog time” starts to state in the 3 paragraph “Trained animals [iii] are used to benefit patients suffering with emotional and behavioral disorders, depression, autism, substance abuse, and dementia.” (2010) This can show how animals can help us with mental issues because animals can understand many struggles us humans have, because after their trained they can not only understand us but also

For centuries people have known that animal companionship has brought many benefits to people’s lives. According to Kathryn Heimlich, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the first known time a companion animal was used to aid in a therapy program was “York Retreat in England, an establishment founded by the Quakers for persons with mental illness” (Heimlich, 2001, p. 48). As stated by Heimlich, the first published reports of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy come from Psychologist Boris Levinson. Levinson “discovered that he could reach a disturbed child during therapy

Questions arise concerning the treatment of therapy dogs when visiting patients and whether animal-assisted therapy really works at all; however, those who disagree aren’t looking at the big picture. Animal-assisted therapy is both an ethical and effective therapy method due to its success in treating those with chronic diseases, disorders, and managing stress and anxiety. The varieties of cases regarding the success of therapy dog treatments far surmount the amount of cases saying otherwise. Animal-assisted therapy stems from the human-animal connection, one of the most unique and powerful bonds man has ever experienced. It is that connection that allows animal assisted therapy to be a critical part of everyone’s daily

In a recent study conducted by Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, of the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness showed that when humans pet a dog, within minutes there is a huge amount of beneficial hormones known to be associated with health and feelings of well-being.(Becker par. 2) These hormones are called beta endorphin, prolactin, dopamine, oxytocin, and beta phenylethylamine (Becker par. 2). The hormones that are released from the interaction between the animal and the human allow the patients to feel more blissful and trusting. Along with being emotionally benefited from working with animals in assisted therapy; people can benefit physically. For example, people who have physical

Resident therapy dogs have been implemented at the library of the Harvard School of Medicine, and these dogs may be checked out just like you would with a book. According to research, interaction with dogs decreases a person’s level of cortisol and increases endorphin levels (Adamle).

For many humans, a pet provides unconditional love and affection. Others feel an overwhelming calming, happy feeling when they are around animals. According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, studies have shown that due to these positive emotions that are stirred, the presence of and interaction with animals can lower heart rates and blood pressure. Animals that meet specific training criteria can become an integral part of a treatment process for a variety of psychological and physiological problems.

The human-animal bond is a very powerful connection, built strongly on the practices of healing and understanding. The relation is mutually beneficial for both parties, stimulating better health in both the human and his or her animal companion. Animal-assisted therapy utilizes this unique connection to treat those suffering from a variety of illnesses, diseases, and disorders. More specifically, the use of therapy dogs is the most common form of animal-assisted therapy. Their services are vastly used all around the world and are quickly growing in popularity as one of the most practiced therapeutic methods to date. Although this therapeutic method is becoming so prominent, there are many still questioning whether animal-assisted therapy is

First, owning a pet can give people some major health benefits. Without a pet, a day at work or school can be stressful. By the end of the day, people could be ripping out their hair or throwing papers everywhere. This can make anyone’s heart rate go up as well as their blood pressure. Thankfully, studies have shown that interacting with a dog or other pet can lower his or her’s cortisol levels. For instance, after only three months, a group of people working with dogs were shown to have significant drops in blood pressure and stress. Pet’s happy go lucky vibes can impact their owners to feel the same, lowering his or her’s stress level. Even when someone sees a picture of their pet when they're stressed, it can immediately cause his or her’s heart

Pet adoption brings myriad health benefits. One of these benefits is the loyal companionship of shelter animals. GAWS shelter’s acting chief executive, Mia Shaw states, “There are big positives for a person’s mental and physical wellbeing in adopting a pet – there are so many benefits to adopting a dog or cat, including companionship and friendship” (qtd. in Sum 19). These animals help human beings physically and mentally by providing another incentive to exercise, and by providing a steady companionship. These benefits could potentially save the lives of depressed people and improve the lives of incapacitated people. Inclusively, shelter animals reduce stress and other health-related issues. Rescue cat owner, Lisa Barley notes, “Not only will you benefit from the joys of a furry friend’s unconditional love, but a pet can have a positive impact on your health, from helping you stay physically active to reducing stress and lowering blood pressure” (48). Adopting a pet is much like obtaining a best friend, who will provide unconditional love and support when the person needs it the most. Furthermore, most of the shelter animals are caged for days or even months, resulting in being restricted from social environments. Consequently, these animals end up being friendlier when they are adopted and placed in a steady home, unlike the ones obtained