At a recent meeting much information was shared to convey the importance of pets in the care of adults and children who have particular health issues and about the use of Rescue Dogs; such as finding people in a mountain where an accident has occurred, in landslides, snow avalanches and forests. Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell, using 300 million receptors to detect human scent and they can cover large areas on foot.
They can ‘air scent’ locating any human and they can follow a specific scent by tracking the scent from an article of clothing. Common breeds used are German Shepherds; Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Border Collies. They are trained by positive reinforcement and to associate finding with a reward.
A dog can detect minute amounts of scent in an ten acre field. They are used by the police, the fire service and mountain rescue teams. They were much used in wartime and saved countless lives on the battlefield. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59197048
In particular Medical alert dogs were mentioned in relation to Addisons disease; Type 1 diabetes and Epilepsy. The dog can detect minute odour changes in sweat or breath. It will nudge or paw the person lick or circle to alert the need for medication if necessary.
Dogs are also used to support someone with severe hearing loss to provide alerts on significant noises such as the door bell, clock alarm, smoke alarm and a cooker timer. It takes some time for a dog to be settled and introduced gradually to the home. The dog can also be useful outdoors in various forms of transport or where there is traffic. It will also offer companionship and emotional support to increase confidence in going out. (www.hearingdogs.org.uk/local)
Dogs can offer great support to children who are affected by Autism. Their presence is calming and can reduce anxiety; ensure the child is safe and increase confidence. They can provide Deep Pressure Therapy to defuse a situation which might be overwhelming. Dogs for Autism Charity
Therapy Dogs are used to encourage anxious children to attend school; to improve self esteem; a feeling of well being and encourage compassion and empathy. The Read2dogs programme works particularly well to improve reading skills and an interest in sharing and looking at books. Dogs are very good at listening!
Organisation’s like the The Dog Mentor establish in 2013 has been implemented in over 500 schools across the UK. They provide an invaluable feeling of wellbeing, reduce stress and offer social support to students and staff.