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Location: The Badlands
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,889
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29-01-2011, 04:28 PM
Dogs giving confidence
Has anyone ever found that their dog/s give them confidence to do things/go places they otherwise wouldn't?I find it very difficult to go to certain places without my dog(n dogs past) and would be able to do lot more if could take her with me(shopping centres, doctors,dentist.etc) so long as she was happy as well(would never want to cause harm or distress). Guide/assistance dogs help folk so much and do a brilliant job and police/army etc. Does anyone else think that dogs should be allowed to accompany owners more(in lot more places).Sorry if in wrong section(or daft question)
Many thanks.
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Location: Berks Uk
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,036
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29-01-2011, 04:55 PM
I suffer with agoraphobia and struggle going anywhere unfamiliar. If I attempt a new place/route I take a dog or two for moral support.
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Location: The Badlands
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,889
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29-01-2011, 06:03 PM
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Location: March, Cambridgeshire.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 35,368
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29-01-2011, 06:14 PM
They are also good at listening when you need to get something off your chest.
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Location: Manchester, UK
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 31
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29-01-2011, 06:26 PM
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Location: UK
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 372
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29-01-2011, 06:38 PM
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Location: lincolnshire UK
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 591
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29-01-2011, 06:41 PM
About 8 years ago I had a child - Sarah - who responded only to sensory stimulus - as part of her programme I brought my old Groenendael 'Lily' ( Gron-de-Mon Folie Magique' ) into class. Lily provided the complete sensory package with warmth, texture, movement, and responsiveness and we used her visits to introduce and extend the use of a head switch so that Sarah could tell us by using the switch that she wanted 'more' interaction with Lily.
Lily was already quite old when I started this programme and eventually had to stop visiting as she began to decline - around three years ago i imported a Groenendael bitch from France - Bijou du Clos Des Agapornis as part of my hobby of showing, working and occasionally breeding the Groenendael variety of BSD . Bijou has the most wonderful laid back and gentle nature and she took Lily's place as part of the sensory programme for some of my students .
As the visits progressed I noticed that another student , Andrew, became fascinated with Bijou - he would sit next to her and rub her fur between his fingers - Andrew is very severely Autistic - ,he will not give eye contact, cannot speak, will not touch or communicate in any way with adults or other students - he was completely locked in the isolated world of severe Autism he spent most of his time fluttering his fingers in front of his face or flicking paper between his hands - Bijou's fur was to him just another extension of his obsession with fluttering his hands - but I thought I could use this to help him choose to communicate.
On one of Bijou's visits Andrew came over to sit with Bijou as usual but this time I called Bijou back to me - Andrew then looked at me - so I sent Bijou back to him - we repeated this for most of the morning - with Andrew asking for Bijou by looking at me it sounds a really small thing but that look was the first deliberate communication he had given me in the two years I had been his teacher !!.
Eventually we extended his communication programme and included taking Andrew out of school - this was always a nightmare - the outside world is often a very frightening and incomprehensible place for Autistic youngsters and Andrew was no exception - if we ( or his parents ) tried, he would scream , throw himself on the floor and bang his head - it was truly pitiful to watch and so Andrew rarely left the 'safety' of the class room or his home - but we found that he WOULD follow Bijou - and so we began taking Andrew out of the classroom - we used a harness so that he could feel her fur ( which was still part of his obsession ) and I would hold her lead - I remember the triumph of walking to the local shop and back for the first time - a real breakthrough !!.
Andrew and Sarah are no longer in my class but Bijou still comes in regularly to work with other students - she also helps me deliver the Kennel Clubs 'Safe and Sound ' scheme to our more able youngsters and once a term I do an animal assembly where she is an integral part .
Not all Autistic youngster respond to dogs in the same way as Andrew did ( some are very afraid ) but for those that do the effect can be wonderful - this has now been recognised by an organisation called Assistance Dogs http://www.support-dogs.org.uk/AADogs.htm and the impact that dogs can have on the lives of those with special needs is only just beginning to be uncovered - I think we have only just scratched the surface !!.
I'm due to retire at the end of this Summer Term but I hope to continue with this work on a voluntary basis - I'm lucky to have such an extraordinary dog ..... !
.
here's Bijou :http://www.simplesite.com/grondemon/15516332
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Location: East Midlands, UK
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,775
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29-01-2011, 06:48 PM
There is a lovely story behind Ben, our recent rescue. Ben is son of our old boy, Hal, coincidentally. About 2 or 3 years ago, we met up with a lovely chap at our local pub who we knew from way back when Hal was young. We got talking to him and he said how he had always admired Hal, and how he would love a dog like that. I said to him that similar dogs are often coming up for rescue, and I would have a look on some sites to see what was what. By a huge quirk of fate, Ben (then called Henry) had just come onto the rescue scene. We had no idea at that stage he was a son of my boy. To cut a long story short, our friend ended up with Henry, whom he renamed Ben and Ben proved to be a lifesaver for our friend, who had gone through some bad times and was suffering from depression. Through Ben, he grew strong once more, but sadly had a bad accident in which he broke some ribs and to cut another long story short, we ended up taking Ben on permanently.
I believe dogs should be available on the NHS - why else would we go out in the depths of winter in the freezing cold and pouring rain to walk miles through deep mud? Without our dogs, my OH would be as fat as a pig because he is self employed working from home and would never take any exercise. Anybody with mental health problems in particular could benefit hugely from contact with a dog. My daughter has ADHD and learning difficulties, and has always had an infinity with animals. Hal was incredibly important during a part of her life that was particularly bleak.
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Location: East Midlands, UK
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,775
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29-01-2011, 06:54 PM
Originally Posted by bijou 
interesting ...I've just written this as an article for Dog World explaining how I use my dogs to help with the social integration progarmmes of the autistic youngsters that I teach :
( sorry I've forgotten howto paste photos on here directly ! )
here's Bijou :http://www.simplesite.com/grondemon/15516332
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