Dog - his company at home has many advantages. Quadrupeds help to recover from depression, walking with them reduces the level of triglycerides and cholesterol. They improve the mood and calm down. The dog is a great companion for singles. These quadrupeds work with us and even heal. However, if you are going to get yourself a dog, think carefully about whether you are up to the obligations.

The dogis a lovely pet who enjoys coming back, whether we are successful or not. He always has time and will accept any change in our life or appearance. Instead, he only needs our closeness - he goes wild without it.

Dog - rescuer and companion, or dog therapy

Dogs save our lives. They reduce suffering. They even make social contacts easier. They are prescribed for lonely people as a cure for emptiness, and for those who are rotten as an excuse for long walks.

- People often do not wonder why they want a dog and what kind of dog - says Monika Tyszkiewicz, a vet from the Sfora clinic in Warsaw. - They don't think if they have a lot of time for him or if they will be the right caretakers. When deciding to buy a dog, if we do not want to be a laughingstock or the fear of the neighborhood, first let us look at ourselves - he advises - what we are like, whether we can cope with an independent animal, or do we need an individual subject by nature.

Cynologists estimate that there are six million dogs in the country. About 300,000 live in Warsaw, and about 30,000 in Szczecin.

- The mother of a handicapped little boy wanted to buy a dog when she saw her son willingly exercise in the company of a four-legged friend. Someone recommended her Alaskan malamute breed. They are beautiful dogs, but they only dream about one thing: to be in constant, fast movement - says Nina Bekasiewicz, caretaker of three dogs, co-founder of the Friend Foundation that deals withdogerapią . - When such advice is given, it is important to remember that a dog of this breed, although friendly and great for a child, will itself require the owner to devote a lot of time and attention to him.

Dogs have… healing properties?

Dog owners are he althier than those who don't. They are scientifically proven to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and lower triglycerides. Walking with the dog, naturally and withoutexercise, they increase the physical fitness of the body, and thus increase the chance of avoiding coronary heart disease and vascular diseases. New sports are emerging, such as agility, where the dog overcomes an obstacle course and a human runs alongside him and gives commands. They must show great teamwork, as well as agility and physical condition (there are already several agility sports clubs in the country).

If dogs are so good at people's psyche, why not use them for medicinal purposes? The American military was the first to ask such a question at the beginning of the last century. After the First World War, the animals began to be trained as helpers for war invalids. Dogs did their basic household chores. It turned out that the natural qualities of the dog are useful in service, e.g. in the police. The quadrupeds not only track the fugitives, but also find drugs. In the 1960s, the first firefighting teams with rescue dogs were established in the USA. They specialize in finding the missing and the buried. After the attack on the World Trade Center, 68 dogs worked shifts for nine days. The world went around a photo of a 3-year-old Labrador female named Roselle, who led her 51-year-old blind master Michael Hingson from the 78th floor of the burning tower.

Dog - guardian and therapist

Dog therapy, which uses dogs for rehabilitation of people, is gaining popularity. Pets help overcome anxiety, focus attention, trigger creativity, spontaneity in showing feelings, and stimulate the senses. Dogs are brought to people with multiple sclerosis after having had a stroke. Stroking, touching the pet allows you to exercise the muscles. Dogs are specially trained to be helpers for people suffering from epilepsy or diabetes. The animal notices that something is wrong with the human. He can sense a change in heart rhythm, the smell of sweat, and the tone of his voice. Therefore, he can warn against the impending attack of the disease. If this is not prevented, the dog presses the appropriate lever in the rescue device and calls for help.

- The demand for a trained dog is much greater than our capabilities - says Jarosław Wójcik, dog training instructor from Krakow, co-founder of the Association for Assistance to Disabled People "Always faithful 4 paws". For the blind and wheelchair users, he trains free helpers. - Now I'm looking for two puppies, but it's not that simple at all. They must be really he althy because they will work around the clock for the rest of their lives.

The four-legged helper of a person in a wheelchair understands more than 60 commands. It distinguishes "pass TV remote" from "where it is."telephone. "- Such dogs must be strictly punitive and must not show any signs of aggression. I am often asked to make such a dog a protector by the way. It is impossible! The training lasts from six months to a year, you need to spend PLN 8-15 thousand on it.

Dog - herd

Agata Głód, a trainer from the Tri-City, believes that a dog can be spoiled in a quarter of an hour. And a trained one, and one who is just learning to be with people. - People are usually not consistent enough and they get irritated with dogs too often. And sometimes they develop bad habits in them. When the dog suddenly gets scared, the owner immediately says, "Don't be afraid," she says. - And the dog is even more scared, so the owner, a bit irritated, repeats "Well, don't be afraid". Why is this not reaching the dog? Because from the puppy we instill in him that the word NO means prohibition. The dog does not understand the meaning of sentences, remembers the situations and the tone of the voice. So the order "Don't be afraid" is not a very happy juxtaposition of words. For our pet, the word "fear" means nothing, while "no" confirms his belief that you need to be afraid. Dogs accept our difference without setting any standards or judgments. For them, we are part of the herd to be looked after.

Exactly! Remember that the dog is a herd animal. Let's not leave him alone, let's play with him also during a walk. Let him know that we are his pack, not a pack of dogs running around the area. Let's take his toys, balls. Let's retrieve the sticks. Working with a dog, we give him a sense of security and belonging. And then he pays us back even more.

Worth knowing

Dog - nicer than Prozac, or dog curiosities

  • Dog owners have a greater chance of surviving a heart attack (in the United States, about 30,000 people are saved each year).
  • When a dog (or other animal) helps a child with an arm or leg dysfunction, rehabilitation takes a third less time than when people do it.
  • Some American scientists believe that contact with a dog helps people recover from depression, they compare the influence of this friendship on the psyche to that of Prozac.
  • A few percent of autistic people open up in the presence of dogs.
  • In the world, dogs and other animals are permanent residents in pediatric and geriatric wards. In Poland, dogs are most often used for rehabilitation of children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism. Depending on the needs, they calm down or stimulate little patients, they wait for their four-legged partners with great joy, they often make friends withthem.
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