The dog is man’s best friend, it is a cliché but it is a great truth. They bring you happiness, company, improve social life and mood, and there are also many who give you emotional support.
emotional support dogs they accompany their owners to help them overcome emotional or psychological difficulties and are considered necessary for the mental health of their owner. They are especially needed for cases of panic disorder, episodes of stress, anxiety, depression, social phobia in children and adults.
Furthermore, the animals reduce stress and depression, and above all they keep a lot of company for the elderly. They do not require any specific training, but only have to accompany their owners to help them on an emotional level with their simple presence (unlike assistance dogs, trained to help people with a disorder or disability).
Experts have explained that dogs understand human emotions and that your brain reacts to sounds, to different tones of voice and also to the ways of acting of each person.
The Best Breeds for Emotional Support
Although any breed of dog can be suitable as an emotional support dog, there are some specific ones that are better in these specific cases due to their empathy and intelligence: Golden retrievers are perfect for living with children, Labrador retrievers, Yorkshire terriers, Corgis, Greyhounds, German Shepherd, Poodle or Pomeranian. Many of them are small in size, ideal to have in a house without much space.
Emotional therapy with dogs in children
Many pediatricians recommend that parents who have hyperactive children, very nervous or with other health problems, welcome a dog at home due to the benefits it can bring them. We have spoken with Rocío González, a mother whose 11-year-old daughter (Alba) suffers from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD).
Her daughter has a real passion for animals, especially dogs, that’s why they decided to adopt one at home (here the calmest ones). In addition, the psychologist considered that it was very good company for the girl. Alba spends a lot of time playing with the dog, but the best part is the moment of the walk. The girl goes out with one of her parents to walk the dog and socializes with the rest of the canines of other owners, so “he can spend a couple of hours playing outdoors with different dogs and it’s a way of escaping”, explains his mother.
Dogs improve mood and emotional state. Rocío explains that “if Alba is angry or somewhat upset, the dog notices and approaches the girl to give her a kiss and cuddles. Her company helps calm her down and relax her. The dog cares a lot about the girl.”
Having a canine at home has also helped the girl to Manage and organize your time. “If Alba wants to go down to the street to walk the dog before she has to finish her homework and to get the dog down is her goal. The sooner she finishes the task, the sooner she can go down to the street to play with the dogs”, adds Rocío.
The caregiver role It is another of the positive points of having a pet. Rocío has noticed that Alba is more responsible since Lilith is part of the family.
Specific therapies with animals for children serve to improve the management of emotions and confidence. In the case of Alba, she does not receive it because there were no places when she wanted to register in 2022. In the educational world they are very effective for children with attention and/or learning problems. Even so, it can also be used in children with autism or functional diversity. These are very useful therapies to regulate the control of anger and fear in various everyday situations.
Dogs help relieve symptoms of depression
Having a pet improves mood. Dogs help relieve symptoms of depression, especially if you live alone. This is the case of Asunción Gómez (58 years old), a teacher who has suffered from depression treated for more than 10 years.
Asunción has finally decided to adopt a dog to keep her company, a recommendation from her psychologist because help reduce anxiety levels “I’m happy with Tony because he helps me keep my mind busy, he gives me love, keeps me a lot of company and forces me to leave the house. At least since Tony came into my life, I’ve stopped being sedentary because I have to take him out for walks in the afternoon and at night (as well as in the morning before I go to work).”
emotional support dog certificate
To obtain the certificate of emotional support dog, the state of the person is evaluated and if their dog is essential for their emotional and psychological well-being. If so, by a mental health professional, the certificate will be necessary to access places with the dog that are not usually accessible, such as public and private transport (especially the plane).
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