Community Chat

[stazgirl]

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@debc wrote:

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@Bestdressed wrote:

@AnikaBrodie & @stazgirl ...Thanks for your replies.  I thought therapy dogs had extensive training... and puppies wouldn't qualify.

Rosie's dog probably is a comfort dog, just as stazgirl described I am sure they help out in many situations.

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I've never heard of the phrase 'comfort dog',  but it certainly does fit.   Therapy is probably a generic name in this case.   Some bipolar people get extremely agitate and can lose control of their emotions.  I imagine a pet could ward that off a lot of time.    It was good she actually took the dog with her.

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A "therapy" dog goes through extensive training, generally to help with one specific diagnosis (as I understand it)  A "Comfort pet" (as my grandson has) is just an animal who is constantly by their side and at the ready to "comfort".  Animals have an anate sense of when something is wrong.  My 2 german shepards gravitate towards my grandson, My grandson being autistic isn't even the one who plays with them the most or who cuddles with them the most, they just seem to know that he "needs" them the most, the same with his cat (who is his comfort animal) The cat just seems to know that my grandson needs him to be there. They are a calming effect on his tantrums and outbursts,

[debic]

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@stazgirl wrote:

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@debc wrote:

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@Bestdressed wrote:

@AnikaBrodie & @stazgirl ...Thanks for your replies.  I thought therapy dogs had extensive training... and puppies wouldn't qualify.

Rosie's dog probably is a comfort dog, just as stazgirl described I am sure they help out in many situations.

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...

I've never heard of the phrase 'comfort dog',  but it certainly does fit.   Therapy is probably a generic name in this case.   Some bipolar people get extremely agitate and can lose control of their emotions.  I imagine a pet could ward that off a lot of time.    It was good she actually took the dog with her.

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A "therapy" dog goes through extensive training, generally to help with one specific diagnosis (as I understand it)  A "Comfort pet" (as my grandson has) is just an animal who is constantly by their side and at the ready to "comfort".  Animals have an anate sense of when something is wrong.  My 2 german shepards gravitate towards my grandson, My grandson being autistic isn't even the one who plays with them the most or who cuddles with them the most, they just seem to know that he "needs" them the most, the same with his cat (who is his comfort animal) The cat just seems to know that my grandson needs him to be there. They are a calming effect on his tantrums and outbursts,

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I've always known they weren't liscensed therapy dogs, I wonder if they call them that for insurance purposes or something.   I know a couple people that have dogs that alert them to oncoming seizures, but they are not 'trained'.

[stazgirl]

the dogs that alert for seizures usually are trained.  as are the diabetic dogs..therapy training is not the same that like the "seeing eye" dogs go through, but yes, If they are certified therapy dogs they have gone through training for whatever it is they are trained to alert for.  Those are the only ones I would trust if I had a child prone to seizures, low bood sugar or a drop in blood pressure.