Fur Real Friends

Jamie Neff

What you will learn...

differences among service dogs, emotional support dogs, and therapy dogs
how a dog becomes a therapy dog
significant benefits and therapeutics beyond traditional medicine
relationships between people and dogs
why dogs are deemed “man's best friend”

Characteristics Common to all 3 types of "working" dogs

must behave, listen, be obedient and not cause disruptions in public
need to be vaccinated, have yearly checkups, immunizations, and fecal tests to ensure that they are healthy and safe to be around sick patients or the elderly
must be cleaned and groomed regularly
must be friendly, sweet, gentle, patient, easygoing dogs who respond well to lots of attention
must remain calm around acquaintances as well as strangers and other working dogs
female dogs overall tend to be more attentive, listen better, easier to train, more nurturing, and smarter than male dogs

Service Dogs

must be trained by owners or professional trainers to help and support individuals with disabilities or certain conditions
must complete specific disability related training
examples include: visual or hearing impairments, seizure disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, mood disorder, panic attacks, fear/phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts or tendencies, getting items for people with limited mobility, or barking to alert others of an emergency situation
defined under the American with Disabilities Act as "a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability"
accompanies owner everywhere
not viewed as pets but rather as working-dogs such as guide dogs, medical alert dogs, and psychiatric service dogs

Therapy Dogs

provide services at home or to people in a variety of settings
share love and companionship with anyone in need
reduce stress in a workplace, provide companionship to seniors or those suffering from dementia, help people suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) or other traumatic or life changing events or injuries such as military or first responders
feel grief and share affection the same way people do making them helpful during intense situations
these dogs must complete obedience training, take therapy dog classes, owner and handler must be tested and certified, and dog must be registered with a national therapy dog organization
Pet therapy is gaining mass support as people consider moving away from using or taking traditional medicine, and as stress and anxiety increase in the world

Emotional Support Dogs

provide therapeutic companionship and benefits for people with psychological challenges
commonly pets
comfort owner therapeutically through petting, cuddling, or remaining nearby to offer constant companionship
no formal training required nor need to perform specific tasks
in order to be certified as an emotional support dog, a doctor or another healthcare professional, diagnoses an individual with a mental disability that limits their daily life and the individual needs the constant presence and companionship of the dog for that person’s emotional well-being
the dog must wear a vest or tag alerting the public of their situation and that the dog is on duty as special identification is necessary as some attempt to pass off their own pets as emotional support dogs to circumvent rules

Benefits of Therapy Dogs

Petting and cuddling with dogs may reduce the amount of medication some individuals require to function
Benefits vary and may include: lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving cardiovascular health, increasing endorphins and oxytocin, diminishing physical pain, maintaining/increasing movement/motor skills, improving recovery time, motivating people to move more, stretch farther, and exercise for a longer period of time, lifting individuals’ spirits, reducing depression, feelings of isolation and alienation, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, encouraging communication, providing comfort, and helping children overcome speech and emotional disorders

Reading with Therapy Dogs

help children experiencing anxiety about learning how to read
reading to dogs can help children
- - make reading into a fun and enjoyable activity
  - improve literacy skills
  - provide a non-stressful and non-judgmental audience
  - no pressure environment to practice this vital skill
  - increase self-confidence and reduce self-consciousness
  - encourage individuals to love reading and learning

Caroline and Loki

Loki primarily works with older patients
visits from therapy dogs and their handlers help patients both emotionally and physically
feeling the dog’s fur and holding a dog is a game changer for all parties
Caroline and Loki spend most of their time working with people who do not have family visiting them
Loki is one of the few dogs that works in every type of patient unit and also works with doctors and hospital staff
Loki works well with people who are bedridden due to lower extremity issues
Loki is very sensitive and can tell if someone is seriously injured and she needs to be careful, and when a person is going through a loss or is very depressed

Ms. B and Wilson

Wilson has been performing therapy work for eight years
Ms. B and Wilson work with new readers, primarily children but sometimes special needs teens and adults
love to work with elementary school children at the library and sometimes even make classroom visits
visit the library once a week for an hour during the school year and twice during the summer and Wilson also loves to visit camps and attend informal events to spread awareness
Wilson particularly likes people in wheelchairs because they are closer to the floor, and as such, to him. He works very well with mentally challenged adults when he interacts with them at the library or at the park.

Billie and ATD

Billie is part of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) and has performed therapy work with dogs of all breeds and sizes
got involved with therapy dogs in 1990 and is still doing it today
Billie currently works as a tester observer of the handler and the dog
Billie takes all of her dogs to basic obedience classes for an opportunity to bond with them and to socialize them, and takes them everywhere with her so that they can be socialized in all different environments
the key to a successful therapy dog is having it socialized with people and other dogs
Billie's organization has 17,000 dogs currently registered

Children_Go_Virtual_to_Read_Books_to_Therapy_Dogs___(Basic_Small_-_WEB_MBL_(H264_400)).mp4

People Animal Love

People Animals Love (PAL) is nonprofit organization founded in 1982
their mission is to use the human-animal bond to comfort the lonely, ease the pain of the sick, and enrich the world of children
has over 500 members and dogs that make over 2,000 visits a year to hospitals, nursing homes, hospice facilities, jails, federal offices, K-12 schools, colleges, and libraries
during quarantine, PAL dogs listens to over 100 young readers each week
I love working with PAL and having the chance to read with so many

What was the focus of your project/research/product and why did you choose it?

I modified the thesis of my research and project topic due to the COVID-19 shutdown when visiting and working with service or therapy dogs was no longer feasible. My dog, Zoe, inspired me to explore the physical and emotional benefits of pets. For months, I worked with her utilizing video technology to help children read more confidently.

How did you conduct your research and what were your results?

Due to COVID-19, I had to conduct my research through literature, interviews, and zoom reading sessions. My results reveal that reading with a dog, even if virtual, helps children with their reading skills. The children become more confident, comfortable, and happier when reading aloud, and improve their literacy skills.

How would you describe the impact, results, and importance of your project?

I am a volunteer with an organization which helps young readers increase their proficiency and makes reading less scary and stressful for them. I helped foster and encourage a love of reading. This is important to me because I love working with children and I am fascinated by the amazing bond shared by dogs and humans.

What are you still wondering about or what are your next steps if you plan to continue working with this topic?

I plan to continue this therapy work of reading with children with my dog. I hope to further explore the bond shared by dogs and humans. I also plan to continue the work I started before the COVID-19 shutdown on how medical alert dogs detect seizures, low blood sugar, cancer, and other illnesses in humans.

My Experience

As soon as I learned of organizations like PAL, I reached out to them. PAL permitted my dog and I to watch and participate in these reading sessions. At first, we just watched therapy dogs read with children. We saw firsthand how children became more confident as the weeks passed and started to enjoy reading more. We even saw some children begin to be able to read difficult words and increase their reading speed. After a few weeks of observing, the head of this program, James, allowed my dog and I to read with children. Although my dog was not a certified therapy dog, we had watched enough sessions and knew what to do. My dog and I began to read with children via PAL 2-3 times a week. Overall, working with PAL was an amazing experience that I hope to continue. With the help of Ms. B, I met Leah Douglas and her children, Sophia and Ethan. My favorite part of my project was reading with Sophia and Ethan on weekend mornings. Although Sophia was already a good reader, I have had the pleasure of watching her become more confident and less shy. I plan to continue reading with this family and look forward to reading with them and my dog when COVID-19 is over.

How did your project change/progress from its inception to the end result.

I originally wanted to learn how dogs detect seizures, low blood sugar, and cancer in humans. I even had hopes of helping to train or interact with one of these types of dogs. Due to COVID-19, I had to adjust the focus of my project to something that I could accomplish virtually. I do not regret this decision. I have now witnessed how significantly children benefit from reading to a dog and have a better understanding of why this work is so important.

What obstacles did you face throughout your project? How did you address those challenges?

My biggest obstacle was the COVID-19 shutdown. I addressed this issue by investigating what was possible virtually and eventually, changed the main focus of my project. This obstacle was actually a blessing as I met so many wonderful people, developed many great relationships throughout my work, and contributed in such a meaningful way to children struggling with reading during the pandemic.

How do you plan to use the process or information you learned from this Capstone in future endeavors?

When I decided to change my project to reading with children, I did not fully understand how meaningful and rewarding this experience would be. It is yet another way dogs help people. I, once again, witnessed my own dog bring comfort and joy to people. During this process, I also discovered that I would like to pursue a career as a veterinarian so that I may help these wonderful animals who help humans so much.

What advice would you give to a student who is considering or a junior who is currently doing a Capstone project?

The most important advice I would give to a Junior is to be flexible and to choose a topic that is meaningful to them. By selecting a topic that is significant to them, the Capstone does not feel like a task but rather a journey you cannot wait to investigate, explore, and to share with others. I am grateful to the MFS Capstone program and all of the wonderful people I met during this remarkable journey.

Capstone Paper

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