Guest Author - Susan Hopf
Assistance dogs cover a wide range of services. Guide dogs for the blind and alert dogs for those that are hearing impaired are just two of the better-known jobs that dogs provide in the service of human kind.
Children with autism find multiple benefits from a canine companion. A dog that has bonded to an autistic child will protect and comfort the child when involved in tantrums and/or running from social stimuli – often helping diminish the anxiety and lessen the time of such episodes. Many parents report that the first words spoken by their autistic child were in response to a dog. Stroking the soft fur as well as the simple company of a dog also acts as a calming activity when entering situations that have, in the past, created agitation and acting out.
Scientists have not completely unraveled the mystery as to how dogs can detect seizures before they occur. Some say slight shifts in the biochemistry in the brains of epileptics prior to seizing are easily detected by dogs’ keen sense of smell and others believe the ability lies in dogs’ amazing connections with those people with which they form bonds. Regardless of how, many epileptics have a dog to thank for alerting the nearest human caretaker that a seizure was about to happen. Preparing for a seizure before it does happen results in quicker medical intervention and fewer injuries. Such canine companions can provide a better quality of life to those who did not dare venture out for fear of seizing while alone and falling or in such a vulnerable state.
Some high-risk cancer patients now have one of the best early detection tests on the planet. Dogs have indicated to several women that something was wrong in their breast tissue. One such dog repeatedly pointed with nose and paw to a particular spot on his guardian’s breast. The golden retriever’s persistence paid off when a small lump was discovered – a biopsy was performed and diagnosis of cancer was reported. The tumor was so small that all was well with a lumpectomy and follow up radiation – no chemo and none of the side effects that come with such – this dog not only saved his lady’s life but from a great deal of stress and medically invasive procedures as well.
Dogs and animals in general have been helping human beings for thousands of years. Currently scientists are intent to study the reasons behind this bond. Be it a child’s simple joy with the homecoming of a new puppy or the lowering blood pressure of an elderly gent or the smiles of pediatric patients when their four-legged angels visit in the hospital, dogs bring out the best of humanity. Without any requirements other than a gentle nuzzle or a kind word dogs give their all – they accept us for who we are, save our lives, accompany us on journeys both happy and sad, look for strangers under rubble and those lost in the woods, alert us to cancer and other medical emergencies, can detect earthquakes from hundreds of miles away and best of all they do all of this for no other reason than to please and protect us.
Some say that dog is just god spelled backwards – I tend to agree.
