Mental Health

5 Benefits of Therapy Dogs

By Staff Reporter | Update Date: Apr 15, 2021 02:48 AM EDT
5 Benefits of Therapy Dogs

(Photo : Pexels)

There is no denying that your mental health is something that you must be aware of. This can be accomplished in many ways, including having a strong support system, seeing a therapist, or getting a therapy dog. The latter is something that can benefit you in a number of different ways. Keep reading to learn more about therapy dogs, and how they are able to help you out in different circumstances.

What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to be sociable to people. This is the main difference between a therapy dog and a service dog. A service dog is trained to help a specific person with certain tasks, but a therapy dog is able to help many people by being gentle and loving.

They Can Be Utilized in Different Settings

There are a number of different places where a therapy dog can be best used. This includes locations like hospitals, including facilities where they take care of the elderly. A therapy dog is essentially tasked with offering a bit of hope for the people they visit, and they do that by being docile and caring. If you have a dog at home, you likely know how relaxing it can be to simply pet them or have them by your side.

They Are Gentle

Not all breeds are suited to be therapy dogs, since the dogs must be gentle. This is because they may need to visit people of all ages. They should also be able to interact with numerous people without getting overwhelmed or upset. A dog that cannot control their barking would likely not be eligible to become a therapy dog.

Training Them is Easy

There are special treatment programs available that a dog will need to complete in order to become a therapy dog. If they are able to finish the training, there is a good chance that they will be an effective therapy dog. On the other hand, if they are unable to complete their training, they may not be cut out to be a licensed therapy dog. This doesn't mean that you can't count on them, however. Many dogs are loyal and comforting, even if they are not able to become therapy dogs. Keep this in mind if the dog you own doesn't meet the qualifications.

They Can Be Supportive

Some therapy dogs can offer you support with a number of different issues. You may have an issue with depression, anxiety, or another mood issue. Information about how effective a therapy dog can be for these issues has been researched by the journal Animals. A therapy dog may be able to lend a hand with these conditions. This could, in turn, allow you to experience less intense symptoms over time and be able to stay in the moment instead. If you feel like you may need a therapy dog, you should talk to your therapist about it, to determine if it could be a viable option for you. They should be able to answer your questions and provide answers on how to find one.

They Are Members of the Family

Another great thing about getting a therapy dog is that they will be your dog. If you are already a fan of dogs, this is something that you will likely enjoy. Having a therapy dog in your home will be just like having a new member of your family; one that you can count on and one that can help you with your mental health. Besides that, your dog may be able to help others as well, depending on your situation.

Overview

If you are considering getting a therapy dog or seeing if your dog can be trained to work as a therapy dog, you should be aware that there are many benefits. Therapy dogs are trained to help many people with a variety of different mental health concerns, so it might be something that would work well for you or be suited to your dog. You should do research if you are interested, so you can take the next step. It might be just what you need for your mental health. 

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of counselheal.com

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