To The Dogs: Extraordinary Dogs

Pictured is Belle, a Swiss Mountain Dog who is a certified therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International. Belle also is a camper at Camp Bow Wow. (Photo provided)

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For many of us, our dogs are our best friends.

We spend quality time with them daily during walks or playtime in the backyard. Have you ever thought about taking your relationship with your dog to the next level? About creating an even stronger bond than you have now with your dog? About volunteering for a local program that includes you AND your dog?

Check out these types of extraordinary dogs and how they help our local communities.

SERVICE DOGS
Every once in a while you see a dog hanging out in a strange place where dogs aren’t usually allowed — a grocery store, an airport or a public building. They are well behaved, politely walking with or sitting next to their guardians or handlers. I think our first thought is “Wow, I wish my dog was that good!”

Those dogs are with their guardians to help them in some way. Some are seeing-eye dogs, some are mobility-assist dogs who are the arms and legs for a disabled person, some are psychiatric service dogs to keep a person with a psychiatric disorder calm and able to go out in public. Some dogs are trained to sense a coming seizure and respond to it appropriately. There are still other dogs who help someone who is deaf, someone who is in a wheelchair or someone who is using crutches, as well as many other disabilities.

I am amazed at what those dogs can do. Some dogs are trained to hit a button on a console to automatically dial 911 when a seizure is about to happen or when your blood sugar is at a dangerous level. How amazing to have a dog who is not only your best friend, but also your protector and possibly your lifesaver! Like an angel standing guard, there they are.

To learn more about service dogs, check out Canine Assistants at www.canineassistants.org. The videos they have on their Web site are great. Keep a tissue handy — you will be absolutely moved by these incredible pooches.

SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS
Search and rescue dogs are used to strengthen disaster response by partnering with first responders to find people who are buried alive in the wreckage of a disaster such as a hurricane, earthquake, avalanche, fire or tornado. They also track people who have committed crimes and fled, children who are lost or Alzheimer’s patients who have gone missing. Search and rescue dogs are trained to sniff out what they are looking for, even if it is underground or underwater!

According to the National Association for Search & Rescue, all humans, alive or dead, constantly emit particles bearing human scent. Millions of those are airborne and are carried by the wind for considerable distances. Using scent particles, search and rescue dogs can search for the missing person even in heavily populated areas. They can work day or night in most kinds of weather and are especially effective where human sight is most limited — in the dark, in dense woods or heavy brush, in debris (as found in earthquakes, floods and tornadoes) and underwater. 

Imagine your dog as the one who brings a lost child home safely to his or her family. What an unbelievable and rewarding experience! For more information, or to get involved in search and rescue, check out their Web site at www.nasar.org.

THERAPY DOGS
Another extraordinary dog is a therapy dog. Therapy dogs are used to visit hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and shelters.

They come in all breeds and all shapes and sizes. The main purpose of therapy dogs is to do what a dog does best — give love and comfort. They freely share and give their love and comfort without prejudice or question. They help us forget our grief, suffering or loneliness. They can help mend a broken spirit. They accept the limitations of humans without judgment and offer love. Bringing smiles and joy to the faces of the people they visit is the ultimate reward.     

The Therapy Dogs International Web site discusses the assistance therapy dogs give children by visiting libraries and schools and participating in the Tail Waggin’ Tutors reading program. That program was designed to provide a relaxed and “dog-friendly” atmosphere to allow students to practice the skill of reading.

Some kids have difficulties reading in front of other classmates and, as a result, have developed self-esteem issues. By sitting down next to a dog and reading to the dog, all threats of being judged are put aside. The child is able to relax, focus on the reading and, consequently, build self-esteem.
Want your dog to be a therapy dog? Check out Therapy Dogs International at www.tdi-dog.org

Even if these programs aren’t for you, there’s still a way you can help. As the dogs who participate in these programs retire, many of them are looking for loving homes. Check into adoption of those retired dogs. They have already proven they make a great companion for humans in need. Maybe you could be a companion to them in their senior years of need.

Extraordinary dogs need extraordinary people. Be extraordinary.