Have you ever asked this question? Were you just curious or were you considering your dog companion could do it? In this article, you will learn basic information – what nature the dog needs to have, what it has to handle and how to start with Canis therapy.
It’s a well-known fact that contact with dogs is beneficial for humans’ mental and physical health. Canistherapy is a treatment method with such contact and it has various uses. Dog canistherapists often go to orphanages, retirement homes, sanatoriums, hospice care institutions, institutions for physically and mentally disabled people and other similar places.
Of course, not all dogs are suitable to be therapists. If your dog shows any signs of fearfulness or aggression, you should rather focus on another activity together. However, if your dog companion is calm, well-balanced and obedient and loves contact with humans, you may consider canistherapy.
Dog therapist obviously has to be completely healthy and older than 15 months. It can be any breed or a mongrel. Its size is also not important. However, you and your dog should definitely be quite patient.
Besides suitable nature, the dog also needs to be well-socialized and well-mannered. It should be well controllable and it needs to obey the commands for the first time even in a noisy environment. It should also handle new environments, noises and situations with ease. Canistherapy is about physical contact – stroking and cuddling. The dog should be able to accept it calmly, patiently and gladly even from strangers. It is also a good thing to let the future therapist get used to slight pulling of hair, ears or skin to be ready for this kind of situation if it occurs.
Basically, the only special skill the dog therapist needs to learn is being able to stop playing and positioning. When you don’t know what to do next, you can make use of any canistherapy school that focuses on this.
If you still think you and your dog have everything necessary and you are ready to dive in, try to pass the exams you need to be able to practice canistherapy. Every company may include different disciplines, so don’t forget to check in advance what you are going into.
Allegedly, fast is instinctively practised by both wolfs and wild dogs. This has led many people to that assumption, that our dog on the couch should, once in a while, be fasting as well. A wild animal surely knows what it is doing, nature is wise, you...
In this cycle, we will get to know interesting dog personalities. Dogs play an important role in our life, so let us take a look what they have already achieved during our life together. We should find Hachiko in the dictionary next to the phrase...
Markéta is my long-time friend. We got to know each other through a shelter, from which I took my first dog and where I then started to help out. Under this association, Markéta runs a depository for cats in Prague, where I like to go when I have a bit...
Have you ever wondered how much movement is healthy for your dog and when it can be harmful? Or that not every movement is beneficial? Most dog owners never think about this. It’s said that the more you move, the better. But this is not always true.
As I mentioned in previous articles, I occasionally help out my friend Markéta, who runs a cat shelter. I had the opportunity to take part in several humane trappings for stray cats and would like to share the experience with you today.
Did you know that even your pet dog can suffer from depression? As with people, we shouldn’t underestimate the mental state of our dogs. How to recognize it and what to do about it?
In this cycle, we shall take a look at how cats and dogs are getting along in the world. Where people nurture and spoil them, or on the contrary they suffer and their situation is critical. Today I would like to introduce you to the cats of Greece,...
The approach of warm sunny days will surely entice many people to go for long walks. Many of us take our four-legged companions on vacation. It’s during these times that we should be careful about sunstroke, both for us and our dogs. How can we prevent...
Just like with people, being overweight can have a negative impact on a dog’s health. Preparing the right diet and amount of food to give them can sometimes be, however, like pure alchemy, and so your dog can start to become obese. If this is the case...
There seems to be more and more ticks year after year. Fortunately, the ways to protect our furry friends, whether dogs or cats, against these parasites are growing. Everyone can choose what product fits best for them and their four-legged companions.
Until recently skinny guinea pigs were relatively rare in our country. Word about them is quickly spreading, however, and they have become a sudden hit among breeders. What’s it like having these guinea pigs and what do they like to eat?
The kidneys perform one of the most important functions in the body - cleaning the blood. Due to their small intake of water, cats are more burdened than other animals and therefore suffer quite often from kidney problems the older they get.