Your Loyal Companion Through Therapy
The Junction Works is an organization that seeks to aid the disabled population of West Sydney. Visit The Junction works if you’re seeking disability support, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
Therapy dogs are special types of dogs that are certified and trained to be companions to people in therapy institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes. They provide affection, comfort, and emotional support to people who are undergoing therapy and are surprisingly effective companions for people with disabilities. Some studies heavily support the emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits of earning the love, support, and companionship of therapy dogs.
Dogs that are trained and certified to provide care to disabled individuals are either called service dogs or therapy dogs. The difference between the two types of trained companions is that therapy dogs are trained to be companions to help disabled people through therapy. Service dogs, on the other hand, are companions that are trained to support disabled individuals’ specific needs. A good example of a service dog helps a blind individual find their way by pulling them with a leash. Basically, therapy dogs are trained to be companions, and service dogs have niche skills related to their owners’ needs.
Aside from helping out people who are visually impaired, service dogs can also be trained to assist people who have diabetes. Their noses must be functional so they can detect drops in blood sugar so they can alert their owners. Service dogs can also help people who have epilepsy, as dogs can be trained to respond to seizures by seeking help.
Owning a therapy dog gives many benefits to a disabled individual. For instance, having a dog as a loving companion balances the chemistry in the brain, regulating the levels of cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin. Individuals who own a therapy dog are known to be calmer and less stressed. This is because therapy dogs help boost the moods of their owners, enhance their social bonding, and escalate their feelings of empathy.
For a dog to become a certified therapy dog, they need to be certified by a legitimate observer. There’s no way to certify one’s dog online, as all tests required to certify a therapy dog must be done physically.
A therapy dog needs to have specific traits to be certified. For instance, your dog needs to have good listening skills, and be able to follow and respond to commands. This is because therapy dogs must be able to help their owners at any given notice. Not only are therapy dogs trained to be good companions, but they must also be able to aid in urgent situations as well.
Another trait that a therapy dog needs is the temperament to react positively to strangers. This corresponds to the most important traits that therapy dogs must have — friendly, gentle, and patient. Therapy dogs must also be okay with being touched or handled. This is because they must always be in close contact with their owner enough to develop a kinship with them.
A therapy dog can accompany a disabled individual as they go through therapy sessions such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, and disability support.
