There’s the scene of a dog jumping out from the back of a car to greet his owner.  Which of us would not want this kind of greeting?  Or the German Shepherd sleeping in her doggie bed, and lets a little boy lie down on her?  And the dog who’s keeping an eye out for the toddler who’s walking in the opposite direction?  He stays where he is so the little boy would come back to him and walk in the right direction.  And the dog who jumps into a pool to help a puppy who’s exhausted from swimming get out of the pool safely?

The benefits of having a dog

You probably already know about some of the many benefits of having a dog, or being around someone else’s dog.  They include reducing stress level, fewer visits to the doctors, losing weight (because you have to walk your dog everyday), connecting socially (you’ll meet other dog owners on your walk, and you’ll swap stories about your dogs).

Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal in Help Guide offer one that’s particularly interesting.  Dogs can help children with autism.  How? Often children with autism depend on nonverbal cues in their communications, just like dogs do. It’s easier for them to interact with pets than with people. Connecting with a dog first can help in interacting with people. Children with other learning disabilities also find relief from stress around dogs.

It can’t be easy to be facing one’s learning “disability” all day.  Here is a sympathetic friend who does not care one bit what kind of learning abilities we have.

If you enjoy this video, here is another one of how therapy dogs help patients at the Betty Ford Center.

Article source:  Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal in Help Guide

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