Grief therapy dog

Dogs have been proven to be able to assist people in overcoming their grief. This has led to a recent rise in the use of therapy dogs in helping people through the grieving process, although animal-assisted theory having been around since World War II. Grief therapy dogs can be found in locations, such as funeral homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and hospices. It is becoming more of a regular practice for funeral homes to have dogs available in time of need. The grief dogs, which usually live with the funeral home’s owner or a staff member, are on hand to help with things such as arrangements, visitation, and, if the family would like, during the service itself. (Ayers). Besides service in funeral homes, grief dogs are also becoming popular for helping people cope in various other situations, including counseling sessions and disaster relief. Some of the most popular breeds used are the Portuguese Water dog, Burmese Mountain dog, St. Bernard, and Golden Retriever. They often go by other names such as emotional support dogs, companion dogs, or comfort dogs.

Grief has frequently been defined as a sea of emotions. Everyone experiences grief differently, so it is usually unhelpful to apply characteristics or time frames in which an individual grieves. It does usually come with devastating periods of sorrow, irritation, remorse, unease, hopelessness and helplessness. Grief is a personal process of struggling to acknowledge that something has been taken, opening up an emptiness in the life of the one grieving. The acknowledgement of the loss is often the starting point that initiates the process. Some key components to getting through the process include: companionship, time, permission for expression, and a safe place to mourn. A main issue with assisting an individual grieve is that the significant loss frequently leaves people depressed, dazed, and isolated.

Brian Hare, director of Duke University Canine Cognition Center, says the human-canine bond goes back thousands of years. Dogs have been drawn to people since humans began to exist in settlements. Dogs are the only species that does not show fear of strangers. Hare said, “They’re actually xenophilic-they love strangers!”(qtd. in Figell). A dog bases it thinking according to its senses versus spoken language. With a thought pattern like this a dog will classify everything into relation of what it means according to its senses. An example would be if the dog relates wearing a vest with working, then a person who attempts to get the dog to play while wearing the vest, the dog would become confused (Mccardle). Although a dog does not think according to language, people often intuit that dogs are compassionate and therefore worthy of communicating. This builds a feeling of intimacy, leading the person to feel safe and understood. This can benefit the grieving human, because the animal is unable to verbally respond, making this intimacy virtually indestructible. The dog will also never give a judgement or counsel, and can help the conversation continue with their apparent sensitive listening or a nudge of companionship. In contrast, one may be apprehensive about talking with another person for the fear of being hurt or lied to. Pets are an addition to therapy because they allow people to feel safe, accepted, and to have meaning.

A large number of studies show animals can offer relief and serenity to a wide age range of vulnerable people with various different emotional issues. Ross DeJohn Jr. of DeJohn Funeral Homes in Ohio says, Magic, a Portuguese water dog, “Makes people smile even when they don’t want to.”(qtd. in Sinatra-Ayers). Amy Sather, Rincon Valley assistant principle bring her 2-year-old Golden Retriever, Gibbs, to the school to assist in the therapy of the children. Sather says, “I’ve got kids who parents are going through a divorce and they are so depressed by it. I’ve had children literally hug and cry into his fur”(qtd. in Warren). Principle Brad Cosorelli claims the students will flock to the dog in time of distress instead of the counselor. Children were found during a study to find their pet (in most cases dogs) a bigger comfort in sharing secrets or scary situations than they found the adults in the family to be. In some cases, life experience has led people to believe they will be hurt by the closest to them; animals can provide non-judgmental and unrestricted emotional support. This is true for both children and adults. In a survey done by the American Animal Hospital Association, many of those who responded specified they are emotionally dependent on their pet. Therapists believe they can utilize client’s attachment to animals for therapeutic reasons (Urichuk). The presence of a dog in a therapy session has indicated an increase in a patient’s outlook as well as improving willingness to share on a deeper level. Often people have difficulty expressing what they feel and having an animal present can help people realize it is normal to feel. The petting of an animal can also put a patient at ease, whereas a therapist must maintain a professional state and thus is unable to provide physical support. This creates a unique bridge for patient therapist communication (Urichuk).

The American with Disabilities Act defines a disability as: “A mental or physical condition which substantially limits a major life activity.” A service dog is specifically trained to aid an individual’s disability. The A.D.A does not view comforting as a skilled task, but a comfort dog is a constant companion that has a keen sense for someone feeling down. They have the ability to provide a touch at just the right time and allow a person to get centered again. Comfort dogs provide a way for people who are distressed to find sanctuary.

See also

• Grief
• Grief counseling
• Grief therapy
• Postponement of affect

External links

• Grief therapy dogs during 9/11