Therapy Dogs:  Canine Bonds That Make a Difference

The practice of using pets as part of therapy programs in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes is becoming increasingly popular and studies have shown positive results. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and someone new is added to those ranks every 72 seconds. Felicity’s Diamond Jim, affectionately known as James, is more than just a purebred, award-winning canine. Before being crowned National Champion at the 6th Annual AKC/Eukanuba Championship last December, this English Springer Spaniel worked as a Certified Therapy Dog.

After a career of show victories and awards, and a recent appearance on The Oprah Show, James is retiring from his show career in conformation and is returning to his therapy dog work. He is also returning to work at agility events and is currently working with the Alzheimer’s Association. A 2004 study* presented at the International Conference on Human-Animal Interactions, discussed how animal-assisted therapies for people with Alzheimer’s have been shown to improve language, attention span and interactions. Some Alzheimer's patients have even been known to stop taking anti-anxiety medication after regular contact with pets.

Owning a pet has often been credited with lower blood pressure, lower blood triglyceride levels, increased activity and socialization, and even increased length of survival following a heart attack. For those who feel comfortable with pets, regular contact can help decrease anxiety and increase feelings of calm and well-being. People with Alzheimer’s often experience loneliness and isolation and pet visits also can allow these patients a chance to play and express themselves creatively. As they become forgetful and disoriented, patients may be reluctant to talk to new people or even to friends and family. A pet visit can help break the ice and provide a happy topic for conversation.

Some people with dementia will communicate more readily with animals than with humans. After all, a pet is a nonjudgmental listener who won't mind hearing the same story five times and doesn’t care if a wrong word has been used. People with very advanced dementia will sometimes respond to the comforting presence of an animal, even if they respond to little else.

This phenomenon was observed firsthand by one of our Barking Bulletin readers, Evelyn, in Oakland, California. She is an occupational therapy instructor for a graduate occupational therapy program at Samuel Merritt College. One of Evelyn’s student groups developed a pet therapy program, using her seven-month-old Golden Retriever puppy, Lance, as a model to pilot their project in an assisted living facility. The student group, Evelyn, and Lance visited the assisted living facility floor several times. Lance was greeted, petted, and admired by residents and staff alike for his calmness and beauty.

“One day, while Lance was making his rounds in the skilled nursing facility on the Dementia Floor, a patient began petting Lance,” Evelyn said. “He suddenly engaged us in a lengthy conversation about how he used to raise Labradors, their specific characteristics, breeding issues, and his love of dogs. When we left, the nurse's aid came up to us to tell us that this man had not spoken a word to anyone for over three months! She was overjoyed with his responsiveness, as we all were.” This was true therapeutic power in action.

“Lance has now graduated from a certification program and he is now a certified pet therapy dog,” Evelyn says. “He passed the American Kennel Club's ‘Canine Good Citizen’ (AKC-CGC) test with flying colors and we now visit a local assisted living center for the elderly and a middle school classroom for children with autism spectrum disorders every month. At 21 months now, Lance is calm and patient throughout these sessions, no matter how long we stay. He loves the attention and the people love to give it to him.”

Another Barking Bulletin reader, Jim in Pennsylvania, wrote to tell us about how he and his dog, Emme C. Dog, work together with brain injured patients at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital (BMRH) of Malvern, PA. “Each week, in a structured activity with patients and therapists, Emme C. Dog and I work to provide a stimulus and assist people in rehabilitation activities, as well as comfort and joy to those encumbered by age and health related issues,” he says.

“To prepare, the BMRH teams are trained and certified to demonstrate a level of obedience and social skills. This allows us to assure acceptability and effectiveness when participating in Pet Therapy, Animal Assistance Therapy (AAT) and Animal Assistance Activity (AAA).” The BMRH program is about 13 years old and now includes over 12 dogs, with six or seven dogs on regular duty in the hospital. Jim says they are also starting a Service Dog referral program for outgoing patients managed by the program’s case workers.

There are so many possibilities for pets becoming a valuable part of a therapy program, often encouraging cooperation with the most challenged patients. For instance, a patient who might not want to practice walking with his physical therapist -- because it feels too much like work -- might be thrilled at the chance to take a dog for a walk because that seems more like fun.

For people who enjoy animals, pet therapy can indeed achieve some solid benefits: better health, a more relaxed mood, an enhanced connection to the world, improved communication and the very therapeutic chance to play and create. The simple acts of a gentle touch, playful interaction and an exchange of affection can indeed result in therapeutic miracles for those we love.

Celebrating our bond with pets and all they do for us is a reminder to make certain that, in return, we are giving them the best health care and protection they need. AKC/Eukanuba Champion James is covered by the AKCsm Pet Healthcare Wellness Plan, which includes comprehensive coverage for accidents and illnesses, as well as an annual physical exam, heartworm and flea controls, annual dental cleaning and more.

The range of AKC Pet Healthcare Plans offers quality and affordable coverage for as little as 68 cents a day. You can choose the Essential Plan that covers unexpected illnesses or injuries up to $11,000 for treatment costs per year, at $20.75 a month, or higher levels of protection with Essential Plus (for a higher cost). The Wellness Plans also offer extra reimbursement towards those wellness measures that can add up to $500 or more a year and provide coverage up to $13,000 for treatment costs a year, with a spay/neuter option too. Click here for more information and a no-obligation quote for any of these plans.

* Bassal, C. (2004, October). How do they communicate?: A structural analysis of the interactions between Alzheimer’s patients, volunteers and dogs in the frame of the Animal Assisted Therapy. Poster presented at IAHAIO 10th International Conference on Human-Animal Interactions Glasgow, Scotland - October 6-9, 2004: People and Animals: A Timeless relationship, Glasgow, Great Britain.

For information from the American Kennel Club (AKC) on therapy dogs, visit: http://www.akc.org/contact/answer_center/faq_miscellaneous.cfm For information on the AKC Canine Good Citizen ® (CGC) Program, visit: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm

For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association, visit: www.alz.org For more information on the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, visit: www.mainlinehealth.org/br/

For more information on the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan, visit: www.akcphp.com