Therapy Dog: Difference To A Well-trained Dog
The well behaved dog and the therapy dog are very similar. You can train your dog to know how to deal with the environment. The more gifted will be able to convey important information about their owners. The latter is known as a therapy dog .
Animal therapy is a resource that can be used to treat patients with disabilities, Alzheimer’s, or autism. You can also rehabilitate people with different addictions.
The application dates back to the beginning of the last century, as the relationship between animals and humans has physical, psychological and social advantages.
Horses trained for this task were mainly used in these first attempts. But now it is the dogs that are becoming increasingly important in these alternative therapies.
The social and family therapy dog
It is generally accepted that certain pets play a fundamental role in the lives of their owners. And dogs are still the most popular emotional and psychological contact point for many people.
The approach of some psychoanalysts describes the helpful work some dogs do in promoting therapeutic change and obtaining important data about their owner. The new thing about this method is that the animal does not only serve as an emotional or physical aid.
In other words, it not only serves as a support for people with mobility problems, but also provides important information about the personality of its owner, his state of mind and the family atmosphere to which he belongs.
In addition , the therapy dog is particularly useful for family or partner therapy as it highlights the emotional and instinctive relationships between the various members.
Just by their presence, the similarities and contrasts between the family members are quickly discovered.
For example, in families whose relationships cause insecurity, the pet will manifest this feeling through aggressive behavior. The information that the dog provides is an accurate indicator of the relationships of dominance and submission.
They also make it possible to improve behavior in order to adapt it to the family living environment.
The job of well behaved dogs
Training your dog is very important as it will ensure that your four-legged friend will be able to find their way around society. Also, he will not have dangerous behavior towards other dogs or strangers.
However, raising your dog will not be easy and quick. It takes a lot of time and attention, as the animal must first have confidence in its trainer to begin learning.
It is a step-by-step process achieved through short learning units. Too intense activity could even anger the animal, which could then defy the educator and rebel against him.
For this reason, it makes sense to reward the animal for any correct behavior. The reward, which can be a dog biscuit, for example, is a positive reinforcement to encourage proper behavior.
It is best that all family members participate in the upbringing, if only for a short time. This way, the animal will easily listen to different people, not just its trainer.
But only through a close relationship of trust and affection between humans and animals can a really good education be achieved.
Therapy dog: the main characteristics
They are dogs with a great understanding of social society. They are also known as “mediators” because they rarely cause conflicts, but instead intervene to try to resolve them.
They are animals with a high degree of control over their actions, especially enormous control over their mouth. The aim of their actions is not to harm, but quite the opposite; to prevent other members of the group from being harmed.
The therapy dog was allowed to decide for itself all its life. Therefore, in a conflict situation, he does not have to wait or wait until his human partners give him permission to participate in the arbitration.
His self-esteem was not harmed by the way people treated him. He understands and uses dog communication to perfection.
In general, they have little or no resentment and can join in on a particular situation in order to resolve it. After that, he can develop a perfectly friendly relationship with the other members of the social group.
Dog psychology
Every dog is different depending on its breed, its behavior patterns, the stimuli it receives from the environment, its experiences and the people who take care of it.
Even within the same litter, there are pups of different natures (dominant, submissive, enterprising, exploratory, fearful, etc.). This versatility leads to different educational methods.
