Therapy Dogs

Miind My Miind > All Blogs > Therapy Dogs
therapy dogs today main

Therapy Dogs can help you get better

Many of us own pets, especially dogs! And can easily understand how much power they have to turn our normal day into a  beautiful one. However, do you know that they can be therapeutic as well, especially if you are prone to mental health concerns like stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues as well? If you’re unfamiliar with the use of animals in therapy, this blog is a good starting point to familiarise yourself with the axiom that dogs are the gift that just keep on giving. And although less than 100 years old, the services of therapy dogs stand on solid academic work done by a vast number of psychologists, psycho-therapists, and psychiatrists.  Therapy dogs are dogs that are successfully trained to impart affection, comfort and support to people in medical need for their company. Generally utilized in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, and schools, they are a source of unfettered comfort for millions around the globe. Not to be confused with assistance dogs which are canines trained to aid patients with physical needs, therapy dogs are skilled in interacting with (almost) every human around them.

So, why choose therapy dogs?

Dogs, in general, provide unconditional love and affection. Besides that, you get a partner to socialize more effectively. A range of mental health illnesses are seen to respond well to these qualities of therapy dogs such as;
  • A therapy pet can help reduce a person’s anxiety, as well as help those with PTSD. Some hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities use therapy pets to provide support or comfort. NAMI indicates that therapy dogs are particularly helpful to patients with cancer, heart disease, or mental health disorders
  • Studies show that dogs reduce stress, anxiety and depression; ease loneliness; encourage exercise and improve your overall health. For example, people with dogs tend to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to develop heart disease
  • Therapy Pets can also reduce work-related stress. Two out of three employees say work stresses them out and 40% say their job gets in the way of their health. Studies show that pets in the workplace help reduce stress and improve employee satisfaction and increase productivity
  • Pets can help increase productivity, wherever you work. When a dog joins a virtual meeting, group members rank their teammates higher on trust, team cohesion and camaraderie
  • Pets can help you be more active. They give you a reason to get outside, get some fresh air and get active, which is proven to improve your mood, sleep and overall health
  • Pets provide a sense of togetherness. The bond with a pet helps you to not feel alone. When owners see, touch, hear or talk to their companion animals, it brings a sense of goodwill, joy, nurturing and happiness
  • Individuals who are diagnosed with Cognitive illness like Alzheimer’s disease, therapy dogs helped these individuals to perform efficiently in their general life                                                                                
  • Research also shows that therapy dogs are trained to assist a person who has met with a bad accident, or has had a surgery, their presence and love turned out to be extremely beneficial for the person’s speedy recovery. Not just that but it’s also said that having therapy dogs around while recovering from an accident might reduce the physical pain of the patient
  • Research says that the presence of therapy dogs in educational institutions helps students with adjusting in the new environment, it also increases productivity and reduces absenteeism
While we are at it, we also need to understand that therapy dogs are not a substitute for psychotherapy or therapy in general, but they can surely provide extraordinary support to your healing journey.

Top 5 Dog Breeds That make Good Therapy Dogs

  • Indian Pariah: Also known as “INDogs” or “Indie Dogs”, this dog breed can be found commonly on Indian streets (Adopt. Don’t Shop). They are highly intelligent and highly adaptable to any kind of environment. They have high immunity and can easily sense a person’s mood and might act accordingly. Feeling low? They might just come and bombard you with love and affection. They can be trained easily and are usually calm around kids and people of other age groups as well.
  • Labrador Retriever: You may say that Labradors’ top the list for almost any kind of work including service dogs, emotional support dogs and even therapy dogs. They are really intelligent, adapt to their environment pretty easily and are easy to train. They may seem relatively large (can also use them as a stress blanket), but they are also really calm and patient, so much so that they can sit with you for hours at a time. This dog breed is suitable for people of any age group. Which makes them one of the best therapy dogs ever. 
  • Golden Retriever: When you think of Golden Retrievers, you may think of the cute furry dogs with soft and golden fur. They are really adorable (just like any other dog). Just like labradors’, golden retrievers are also intelligent, gentle and friendly to be around. They just love to play with people and are easily approachable. This dog breed is used in therapy mostly with kids as they are really friendly around kids.
  • Beagle: Beagles are one of the most intelligent dog breeds ever. They are easy to train and can be used in both institutional settings or with kids as they love being around large groups of people. This dog breed is very intelligent and also has a sense of individuality; meaning that they might choose to ignore commands sometimes and do whatever they please. For this reason they are usually used in corporate settings as therapy dogs.
  • German Shepherd: Most of us believe that German Shepherds are just guard dogs or police dogs, but that’s not true. Despite being active and strong, this dog breed is highly intelligent and can be trained to do almost any task. They might look aggressive but are usually very gentle around people, especially around kids and elder people. They love affection and cuddles. This makes them one of the best therapy dogs.
Therapy dogs have been shown to provide an equal amount of affection to people of every age group. To understand their role in people’s lives we implore you to read about the lives of many individuals who were assisted by the Therapy dogs in their therapeutic journey. In case you are looking for therapy dogs, do contact us on 9888130005 (whatsapp / message), or drop us an email on support@miindmymiind.com
Written by Mental Health Professional, Ms. Kirti Singh

Tags:, , , ,

Contact US

    This will close in 0 seconds

    Contact US

      This will close in 0 seconds

      Dass 21 Questionnaire

      Check your Depression / Anxiety and Stress Level

      /21

      Question

      1 (s) I found it hard to wind down.

       

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      2 (a) I was aware of dryness of my mouth.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      3 (d) I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      4 (a) I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g. excessively rapid breathing,
      breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      5 (d) I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      6 (s) I tended to over-react to situations.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      7 (a) I experienced trembling (e.g. in the hands).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      8 (s) I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      9 (a) I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool
      of myself.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      10 (d) I felt that I had nothing to look forward to.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      11 (s) I found myself getting agitated.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      12 (s) I found it difficult to relax.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      13 (d) I felt down-hearted and blue.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      14 (s) I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I
      was doing.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      15 (a) I felt I was close to panic.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      16 (d) I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      17 (d) I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      18 (s) I felt that I was rather touchy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      19 (a) I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical
      exertion (e.g. sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      20 (a) I felt scared without any good reason.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      21 (d) I felt that life was meaningless.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      Your score is

      0%

      Exit

      This will close in 0 seconds

      Locus of control

      A big question we all feel - am I in control of my life?

      This test helps you ascertain the degree of control that you believe  you have over your life and the events that occur. This belief plays a huge role in the satisfaction levels that we feel.

      /10

      1 / 10

      Is there some bad habit, such as smoking, that you would like to break but can’t?

      2 / 10

      Do you take steps, such as exercise and diet to control your weight and fitness?

      3 / 10

      Do you believe that your personality was firmly laid down in childhood so there is little you can do to change it?

      4 / 10

      Do you make your own decisions, regardless of what other people say?

      5 / 10

      Do you find it a waste of time to plan ahead because something always causes you to change direction?

      6 / 10

      If something goes wrong, do usually reckon it’s your own fault rather than just bad luck?

      7 / 10

      Are most of the things you do designed to please other people?

      8 / 10

      Do you often feel you are the victim of outside forces you cannot control?

      9 / 10

      Do you usually manage to resist being persuaded by other people’s arguments?

      10 / 10

      Are you sceptical about the extent to which your horoscope can tell you what you should do and what’s going to happen to you?.

      Your score is

      This will close in 0 seconds

      Drop us a Query

        This will close in 0 seconds

        Contact Form

          This will close in 0 seconds

          How do You Cope with Anger?

          (The Behavioural Anger Response Questionnaire, BARQ)

          What do you most likely to do when you experience anger? This 34-item measure assesses your anger responses for children and adolescents – and may tell you which response you tend to favour when experiencing this strong, unpleasant emotion. A list of statements are provided below. State whether each of the statements are not true, sometimes true, or often true. This measure was developed specifically for children and young adolescents.

          /34

          1 / 34

          I say something nasty to the person who made me angry.

          2 / 34

          I use strong gestures (for example, make a fist, wave my arms, or give a hand sign).

          3 / 34

          I swear or curse, at the person who made me angry.

          4 / 34

          I hit or push the person who made me angry.

          5 / 34

          I express my anger by slamming a door, or hitting something.

          6 / 34

          I shout.

          7 / 34

          I wait until I am calm again and then talk to the person who made me angry. 

          8 / 34

          I carefully think it over and then tell the person who made me angry how I feel.

          9 / 34

          In a calm voice, I tell the person who made me angry how I honestly feel.

          10 / 34

          I try to understand what happened, so I can explain things to the person who made me angry.

          11 / 34

          I stay calm, and I try to talk about the problem and the person who made me angry. 

          12 / 34

          I leave the situation in order to calm down, and then try to solve the problem.

          13 / 34

          I do not show my anger but I talk about what happened with someone afterwards.

          14 / 34

          I leave the situation and look for someone who will agree with me.

          15 / 34

          I leave the situation, find someone to listen to my story, and ask for advice. 

          16 / 34

          I think about the problem first and then talk about it with someone.

          17 / 34

          I leave the situation and call a friend or family member to tell him/her how I feel. 

          18 / 34

          Even without planning it, I usually end up talking about my feelings with someone.

          19 / 34

          I get rid of my anger by playing music, writing, or painting. 

          20 / 34

          I just keep busy, until I stop feeling angry.

          21 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing some sport. 

          22 / 34

          I stay on my own to get rid of my anger.

          23 / 34

          I simply get very busy with other things to get rid of my anger.

          24 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing something else, like playing on the computer.

          25 / 34

          I tell myself that what happened is not important.

          26 / 34

          I try to forget what happened.

          27 / 34

          I put what happened out of my mind.

          28 / 34

          I do not want to have to cause trouble, so I keep my feelings to myself.

          29 / 34

          I just wait to feel better.

          30 / 34

          I try to keep busy so I can forget about what happened.

          31 / 34

          I keep thinking about what I wish I had done, but didn’t do.

          32 / 34

          I find it hard to stop thinking about what happened.

          33 / 34

          I am upset for a long time after this kind of situation.

          34 / 34

          In my mind, I go over the situation that made me angry again and again.

          Your score is

          This will close in 0 seconds

          Are You Kind to Yourself?

          (The Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form, SCS-SF)

          Are you kind to yourself, and accepting of your personality? Self-compassion relates to your ability to ‘hold one’s suffering with a sense of warmth, connection and concern (Neff, 2003). This ability consists of self-kindness, self-judgement, the view that others suffer too (common humanity), feelings of isolation from others when one fails, as well as mindfulness towards one’s difficult situation and the extent to which one over-identifies with failure. This 12-item measure assesses your self-compassion ability. Simply answer each statement from ‘almost never’ to ‘almost always’ to indicate the extent to which you engage in these behaviours during difficult times of challenge and setbacks.

          /12

          1 / 12

          I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          2 / 12

          I’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies.

          3 / 12

          When I feel inadequate in some way, I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people.

          4 / 12

          When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong.

          5 / 12

          When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure.

          6 / 12

          When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance.

          7 / 12

          When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need.

          8 / 12

          I try to see my failings as part of the human condition.

          9 / 12

          When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am.

          10 / 12

          When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation.

          11 / 12

          I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          12 / 12

          When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy.

          Your score is

          This will close in 0 seconds

          How Mindfully Aware and Attentive are You?

          (Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale; MAAS)

          Being mindful means being consciously, deliberately attentive towards your present circumstances and environment, and being curious and non- judgmental towards the thoughts and emotions that arise as a result of one’s situation. This 15-item measure of mindfulness, called the Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale (MAAS) is designed to assess how mindful you generally are.

          /15

          1 / 15

          I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until sometime later.

          2 / 15

          I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else.

          3 / 15

          I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.

          4 / 15

          I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.

          5 / 15

          I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.

          6 / 15

          I forget a person’s name almost as soon as I’ve been told it for the first time.

          7 / 15

          It seems I am “running on automatic” without much awareness of what I’m doing.

          8 / 15

          I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.

          9 / 15

          I get so focused on the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch of what I’m doing.

          10 / 15

          I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing.

          11 / 15

          I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time.

          12 / 15

          I drive places on “automatic pilot” and then wonder why I went there.

          13 / 15

          I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past.

          14 / 15

          I find myself doing things without paying attention.

          15 / 15

          I snack without being aware that I’m eating.

          Your score is

          This will close in 0 seconds

          The brief resilience scale

          (Brief Resilience Scale, BRS)

          The Brief Resilience Scale was created to assess the perceived ability to bounce back or recover from stress. The scale was developed to assess a unitary construct of resilience, including both positively and negatively worded items.

          The possible score range on the BRS is from 1 (low resilience) to 5 (high resilience).

          /6

          1 / 6

          I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times.

          2 / 6

          I have a hard time making it through stressful events. 

          3 / 6

          It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event. 

          4 / 6

          It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.

          5 / 6

          I usually come through difficult times with little trouble. 

          6 / 6

           I tend to take a long time to get over setbacks in my life.

          Your score is

          This will close in 0 seconds

          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale

          (WEMWBS)

          The WEMWBS was developed and tested by a group of researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick.
          The WEMWBS is used to measure subjective well-being in adults ≥16 years.

          As defined by the developers, mental well-being relates to a person’s psychological functioning, life-satisfaction and ability to develop and maintain mutually benefiting relationships. Psychological wellbeing includes the ability to maintain a sense of autonomy, self acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life and self esteem. Staying mentally healthy is more than treating or preventing mental illness.

          Below are some statements about feelings and thoughts. Please tick the box that best describes your experience of each over the last 2 weeks

          /14

          1 / 14

          I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

          2 / 14

          I’ve been feeling useful

          3 / 14

          I’ve been feeling relaxed

          4 / 14

          I’ve been feeling interested in other people

          5 / 14

          I’ve had energy to spare

          6 / 14

          I’ve been dealing with problems well

          7 / 14

          I’ve been thinking clearly

          8 / 14

          I’ve been feeling good about myself

          9 / 14

          I’ve been feeling close to other people

          10 / 14

          I’ve been feeling confident

          11 / 14

          I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

          12 / 14

          I’ve been feeling loved

          13 / 14

          I’ve been interested in new things

          14 / 14

          I’ve been feeling cheerful

          Your score is

          This will close in 0 seconds

          This will close in 20 seconds

          Role Fitment

          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)

          This will close in 0 seconds

          Copy - Personality Tests

          SCS(Self Compassion Scale)

          The brief resilience scale

          This will close in 0 seconds

          X