Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs provide comfort, support, and companionship to individuals in various settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, disaster areas, and even their homes. These dogs are known for their calm and friendly temperament, making them ideal for offering emotional support and helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.
•    Therapy Dog for Anxiety: Therapy dogs can significantly help individuals manage anxiety by providing a sense of calm and reducing feelings of loneliness.
•    Emotional Support Dog: Emotional support dogs offer comfort and emotional stability to their owners, particularly those dealing with mental health issues. Unlike service dogs, emotional support dogs do not require specific training but must be well-behaved and provide therapeutic benefits to their owner.
•    Support Dog: Support dogs, including therapy dogs and emotional support dogs, help improve individuals' well-being through their companionship and affectionate nature.
 

Therapy dogs offer much-needed support, companionship, and service to people who really need it, but how this happens can vary based on a person’s specific needs or challenges. 
 

So, what can therapy dogs do ?
•    Visits and Interactions: Therapy dogs can interact with people in places like medical settings, aged care homes, and schools. These visits are often coordinated by therapy dog organisations or volunteer groups.
•    Provide Comfort: By offering a calming presence, therapy dogs help reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. For example, they can be beneficial for individuals experiencing trauma or undergoing demanding medical treatments.
•    Emotional Support: An emotional service dog can support and help improve mental health by lowering anxiety and promoting feelings of happiness and well-being.
•    Physical Benefits: Interaction with therapy dogs can encourage exercise which has benefits for physical and mental health. 
•    Encouraging Social Interaction: Therapy dogs encourage socialisation and interaction among individuals, which can be particularly beneficial in settings like schools and nursing homes.
•    Assist in Therapy Sessions: Therapy dogs often participate in therapeutic activities, providing motivation and comfort during physical therapy or counselling sessions.
•    Improve Emotional Well-being: Their presence can significantly boost mood and emotional health, helping individuals feel more relaxed and positive.
•    Aid in Rehabilitation: Therapy dogs help patients regain physical skills by participating in exercises and activities in rehabilitation settings.
 

There are several different types of therapy dogs to help support an array of needs. Therapy dogs are trained to be at ease in new environments and comfortable around different people. A calm and confident temperament is a necessity, so therapy dogs should be comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings and interacting with strangers.

Autism assistance dogs undergo training to support people with autism and their families. A therapy dog for autism can provide support in areas such as communication skills, emotional understanding, social relationships and tactile perception. 

Therapy dogs trained to support those living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can help improve their overall quality of life. In addition to being an emotional service dog, the best therapy dogs for PTSD receive training to reduce the impact of specific symptoms affecting their owner, guiding them back to a sense of safety and encouraging positive interactions and connections with other people and the wider community. PTSD animal therapy takes advantage of the close human-animal bond that can exist between a therapy dog and their owner. This bond promotes calmness and a sense of safety that can help support those with PTSD. 

An anxiety assistance dog can provide a host of benefits for their owners, including reducing stress, anxiety, loneliness and even depression. By seeking the help of a therapy dog for depression or anxiety, a handler can experience the positive connections between a human and an animal, ultimately improving their overall mental health. Engaging with a support dog for anxiety can help to support people suffering from this condition (e.g. by offering body contact or even deep pressure stimulation to reduce stress levels).

The use of therapy dogs for stress can help in different ways, such as by easing loneliness and encouraging exercise. Therapy dogs can also provide a sense of connection in challenging situations where people may require extra support.

As we have mentioned, there are several benefits to trusting a therapy dog to support people with emotional and mental health needs, including:
•    Emotional Support: Therapy dogs provide comfort and companionship, acting as emotional support dogs that help alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression.
•    Stress Reduction: Interaction with therapy dogs can significantly reduce stress levels, helping individuals feel more relaxed and calmer.
•    Anxiety Reduction: Therapy dogs can help lower anxiety, especially in stressful environments like trauma settings, hospitals or during therapy sessions.
•    Building Confidence: Regular interaction with a therapy dog can help individuals build self-esteem and confidence, particularly in social settings.
•    Improving Social Skills: Therapy dogs encourage social interaction, helping individuals develop better communication and social skills.
•    Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Therapy dogs can help other dogs by acting as a calming presence, which may reduce separation anxiety in dogs when their owners are away.
•    Support in Rehabilitation: Therapy dogs assist in rehabilitation by motivating individuals to participate in physical exercises and therapy activities.
•    Promoting Physical Health: Interaction with therapy dogs can encourage exercise which has benefits for physical health. 
•    Emotional Stability: Therapy dogs help stabilise emotions, providing consistent support to individuals experiencing mood swings or emotional distress.
•    Enhanced Mental Health: Overall, therapy dogs contribute to improved mental health by promoting positive feelings and reducing symptoms of mental health conditions.
 

Therapy dogs, often referred to as support dogs, ultimately enhance the emotional and mental well-being of individuals, their presence and interactions significantly improving the quality of life for those they support.
 

While some breeds are more commonly considered ideal for becoming an emotional support dog, it is extremely important to consider the individual dog rather than only the breed. It is important to remember that every personality type can be present within a breed and that breed is not a personality type in itself. Not all dogs meet the high criteria required for becoming a therapy dog (irrespective of breed).

Like any dog, it is important to provide quality dog care for therapy dogs to keep them happy and healthy, such as dog exercise (e.g. walking your dog), providing sources of enrichment and mental stimulation and regular vet check-ups. Providing a safe and secure environment where your dog can grow and thrive is essential when caring for your therapy dog. Treating your dog with an effective parasite control product such as NexGard SPECTRA® will protect them against fleas, ticks, mites, lice, heartworm and intestinal worms.

AU-CAN-0040-2024