by Nancy Bergeron, Registered Psychologist
From dealing with addiction, loneliness, stress, anxiety, PTSD, learning disabilities, age-related disorders, depression, autism, to social situations, dogs are filling the biopsychosocial gaps.
The human-canine bond goes back thousands of years. Dogs descend from wolves and have been attracted to humans ever since we began living in settlements. That created an advantage for wolves to live near humans, and since it tended to be the less aggressive wolves that could do this more effectively, they essentially self-domesticated over time. Simply petting a dog can decrease levels of stress hormones, regulate breathing, and lower blood pressure. Research also has shown that petting releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and affection, in both the dog and the human. Dogs make people feel good, says Brian Hare, an associate professor of cognitive neuroscience at Duke University, who points out that dogs are found now in some courtrooms, exam study halls, hospitals, nursing homes, hospice-care settings, classrooms, airports and elsewhere, “and their only job is to help people in stressful situations feel better. Many people seem to respond to dogs in a positive way.’’
We live in a high-tech, low-touch world and people have a longing for connection. Companion animals like dogs can be that bond, these bonds help us to feel good. When we see, touch, hear or talk to our companion animals, beneficial neuro-hormones are released and that induces a sense of goodwill, joy, nurturing and happiness. At the same time, the stress hormone cortisol is suppressed. Heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate can all decrease, leaving us more relaxed and able to manage stress in ways that aren’t harmful to our health. Dogs make for easier conversation; they are social lubricant. People are likely to respond more positively to someone who has an animal with them. Animals give us permission to engage in ways we wouldn’t otherwise, less formal ways, silly ways. But at a minimum, animals provide a topic of conversation that’s not stressful. And that’s helpful in settings ranging from workplaces to hospitals and other settings where trained therapy dogs work.
“The bond between man and dog is something that can really cure a lot of emptiness,” says Stephen Knight. “I’m a recovering addict, six years clean and sober. I did work in non-profits and social services but went into addiction hard core and ended up homeless, living out of my car, and lost everything in life that matters. Getting a dog eight months into recovery changed my life. There’s a lot of voids that you fill with drinking and drugs. Dogs can replace that with their love.”
Paws To Read is an organization that matches child certified therapy dogs and handlers with children who struggle to read. Kids read to the dogs and are encouraged to pick books they think the dog would like to hear. Their dogs provide undivided attention to the kids as they read aloud. Studies have shown that reading to dogs encourages confidence and boosts self-esteem in children who struggle to read aloud in class, therefore boosting their literacy. St. Philip Elementary school participated in a similar program.
Thousands of dogs are waiting to be rescued so they can in turn rescue you…just one more way a dog can add meaning to your life. This article is dedicated to Seamus, my dachshund who rescued me last month.
