Playing With Dogs

Pets are stress relievers and that’s no news. But there’s more to pets and how they can help humans. A new study focuses more on how pets are important for toddlers as well. Research finds that children that have dogs around are 23% less likely to have difficulties dealing with their social and emotional interactions than the kids who don’t own a dog.

A team of researchers at the University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute investigated around 1700 households with children between the age of 2-5 years with a questionnaire. The study states that children who grew up with dogs were 30% less likely to engage themselves in antisocial behaviours, 40% less like to have issues while interacting with other toddlers and 34% more likely to engage in thoughtful behaviour.  A study researcher Hayley Christian from the University of Western Australia explains, “Our findings indicate that dog ownership may benefit children’s development and wellbeing and this could be attributed to the attachment between them and dogs. Stronger attachment between children and their pets may be reflected in the amount of time spent playing and walking together and this may promote social and emotional development. While we expected that dog ownership would provide some benefits to young children’s wellbeing, we were surprised that the mere presence of a family dog was associated with many positive behaviours and emotions.”

It was further explained in the study how children took their dogs on walks for at least once a week. These kids were 36% less likely to have a weak emotional and social development. Toddlers who played with their dogs for more than three times a week were 74% more likely to engage in mindful behaviours.

Service Dogs Heal

Chronic conditions and disabilities can be challenging.

People who have a mental/physical disability or a chronic condition that results in functional impairment or limitations to their daily activities and social participation may need assistance with a variety of daily tasks.

One way such assistance might be provided is through the use of service dogs.

Service dogs used in the current investigation were purebred or crosses between Standard Poodles, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers. These dogs functioned as either mobility assistance dogs, seizure response dogs, or diabetic alert dogs:

Mobility service dogs assist people with chronic conditions and physical disabilities by performing behaviors such as opening/closing the door, turning on the light, and retrieving out-of-reach or dropped items.

Seizure response service dogs help individuals with epilepsy and seizure conditions. When a seizure occurs, these dogs stay with the individual and provide comfort—or, in case of an emergency, call for help.

Diabetic alert dogs are trained to help those with type 1 diabetes. These dogs can alert their handlers to dangerous changes in the person’s blood sugar, obtain medications for them, and call for help. For the present study, participants were recruited from the database of a national provider of service dogs. The main inclusion criteria included being accepted by the program (i.e., no fear of dogs, no dog allergies, and no family member with a criminal history of animal abuse or other violent crime), and having received service dogs or being on the wait-list.

The results of the analysis did not show a statistical association between having a service dog and improvement of anger, social companionship, or sleep quality. However, compared to those on the wait-list, people with a service dog had better psychosocial health. Even after statistically controlling for demographics, pet dog ownership, and disability variables, a significant association remained between owning a service dog and “higher overall psychosocial health including higher emotional, social, and work/school functioning.” The biggest impact of a service dog in the lives of people with physical disabilities and chronic conditions was in school and/or work—where it improved engagement, interactions, and overall functioning. These benefits are important because physical disabilities and other conditions cause impairment and dysfunction that affect people’s quality of life in multiple ways. These conditions often limit individuals’ lives and restrict their opportunities, especially in social and work domains. The present study suggests service dogs might help in all these domains. As the authors note, “Health care providers should recognize that in addition to the functional benefits service dogs are trained to provide, they can also provide their handlers with psychosocial benefits from their assistance and companionship.”

Charger’s New Service Dog

 

Heroic Police Dogs

From finding missing people and criminals to sniffing out drugs, cash, firearms and explosives, the canines play a valuable role for the force.

Working Dogs

The Marine Corps is undertaking a force-wide restructuring to ensure it has the right composition to take on future conflicts. And its military working dog community, used for everything from patrols and bomb detection to security for high-profile officials, is no exception.

The Marine Corps Military Working Dog Program is undergoing a large-scale review that aims to standardize equipment and improve training — and as part of that, the working dog population is expected to shrink significantly, program director Bill Childress told Military.com.

Under the leadership of Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger, the Corps is undergoing restructuring. Berger has indicated his intent to cut all tank units and law enforcement battalions and reduce infantry units in a move to draw the force down from its current strength of 184,000 to about 170,000 by 2030. Already, some units are deactivating in that restructuring. Childress said the service’s working dog force will be reduced from its current strength of about 210 to 150 over the next two years, the same time period in which Marine Corps law enforcement battalions are set to disband. The program’s human staff will also be downsized, he said, from 260 to about 210. This “right-sizing” is designed to find efficiencies and acquire more dogs trained for multiple skill sets, he added.

“We’re trying to get more out of a dog,” Childress said. “We have what we call single-purpose dogs and dual-purpose dogs. We’re trying to get more dual-purpose dogs, because we feel like we get more bang for the buck.”

As the law enforcement battalions disband, he said, law enforcement dogs remaining in the program will be assigned under base provost marshal’s offices or Marine Corps police departments.

“We’ll still be able to perform our mission and execute everything we need to do,” he said.

Dogs that are trained for patrol and aggression can also be trained to search for explosives or drugs, although that does double the length of the training cycle from about three months to six, Childress said. “Maybe we can reduce the number of dogs that might be required, which would also reduce the number of personnel that we would have to still be able to do the same job, the mission,” he said.

Marine Corps military working dogs deploy alongside Marine dog handlers to combat zones and even aboard ships for patrols and drug and explosive detection missions. Stateside, they can be used for drug detection and other law enforcement purposes. They also at times provide security for officials as high-ranking as the president and vice president of the United States.

All the military’s working dogs are trained at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and supervised by the Air Force, Childress said.

In addition to reviewing and communicating with the Air Force about how the Marine Corps wants its dogs trained, the current assessment aims to ensure that training keeps up with the times — particularly in terms of what substances dogs are programmed to detect.

“There’s a big difference between what we were seeing in Iraq and Afghanistan and here,” Childress said, acknowledging that there are fewer military working dog deployments downrange now than there were during the height of the two conflicts. “So that’s something we always stay abreast of to make sure that we’re doing the right things as best as we can.”

He demurred, however, when asked about specific trends in substances for which the dogs need to train.

As another line of effort, the Marine Corps is working to ensure that all dog trainers and handlers are using the same kinds of equipment and training devices, whether they work on the East Coast or West Coast.

“A lot of times, it was up to the provost marshal’s offices to procure their own equipment,” Childress said. “So you would go from one place to another, and you go, ‘Wow, I’ve never used this before.'”

The review and corresponding changes are taking place ahead of Childress’ planned retirement after nearly 24 years as head of the working dog program and nearly 44 years working with the Marine Corps.

“I want to make sure that I’m leaving the program the way I would want it to be left in, you know, as best as I can do a good turnover,” he said. “And I just feel that we need to do that, you know, just to take a look and make sure everything is the best that we can do.”

As the working dog program thins its ranks, handlers and trainers will be given opportunities to move to other positions in the Marine Corps, Childress said. Some of the dogs, which have an average career length of just under 10 years, will retire naturally and not be replaced; others will be moved to other services to fill gaps they have, he said.

“We’re very tight among all the services,” Childress said.

Bailey The Service Dog

Yard sale today will raise funds for service dog for 11-year-old girl

Mark and Olwyn Wismer need $25,000 for a dog.

Crazy, you say? Hardly.

This service dog will have a dramatic impact on their special-needs daughter, Evie. It will change the 11-year-old’s life for the better.

“People have no idea how much chronic pain she is in,” Olwyn Wismer said Friday.

Evie Wismer has cerebral palsy, narcolepsy, and other developmental delays. She often uses a wheelchair and wears a helmet as she is prone to falling.

Bailey, an 11-month-old Newfoundland poodle mix called Newfypoo, is being trained by Dogology NW in Liberty Lake, Wash. The Wismers, of Coeur d’Alene, need to have $20,000 by the time his initial training is completed, expected to be in September. They’ll need another $5,000 after that for continued training.

They’ve raised about $12,000 and are holding a yard sale today, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 7920 N. Mt. Carrol St., Dalton Gardens.

Friends and family have donated hundreds of items, including furniture, exercise equipment, skis, tools, hardware, books, pictures, dental chairs and toys.

Whatever people buy will take the Wismers closer to their goal. It’s critical that they get there.

“Bailey will help in a lot of different ways,” Olwyn Wismer said.

The Wismers, who have adopted three other children, adopted Evie when she was 18 months old.

Olwyn Wismer said that sometimes, when people hear “service dog,” they think it’s a luxury. It’s anything but.

Evie is very vulnerable and can be easily frustrated in trying to just do some basic things.

With her narcolepsy, she can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, and has. With CP, her balance and mobility are extremely limited and she can fall, and she is often in pain.

She really needs a service dog with her at all times, Olwyn said, to both comfort and protect her.

Bailey will help Evie to focus and prevent Evie from harming herself through what is known as stimming, which is scratching at her skin and being unable to stop.

“She’s so excited about having a dog that will be her friend and not be afraid of her,” Olwyn Wismer said.

Having Bailey, she said, will improve quality of life for Evie and her family.

Bailey and Evie have spent time together and have already bonded.

“They are best friends,” Olwyn Wismer said.

New Obstacles For Service Dogs

While browsing through a Facebook group for guide, mobility and service dog recipients, a post by one of the members jumped out at me. “Did you dare to go out with your dog?” it asked. “Are you able to go out of your home?” Since the early days of the COVID-19 crisis in March, many have had their eyes glued to the news and are following government guidelines. But in all this turmoil, have we forgotten about citizens living with a disability?

I am a doctoral student at the University of Ottawa and a resource teacher for suspended or expelled students. I specialize in the areas of inclusion and service dogs. My research project allowed me to have Toulouse, an assistance dog from the Mira Foundation trained specifically for my special needs students. Since March 2019, she has been accompanying me everywhere and has helped me discover a reality that I didn’t expect.

As a researcher in this field, I am fortunate to have access to networks of assistance dog beneficiaries. With this article, I would like to offer them a public voice in order to draw a portrait of their reality since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

Mac The Therapy Dog

One of the Fraser Valley’s most pup-ular dogs has passed away.

Mac the Therapy Dog has been featured in local newspapers and on the evening news for all the good work he did, comforting students and staff at the University of the Fraser Valley.

The last story was in March of last year, when he announced his retirement. He passed away on June 26, 2020, at the age of 16. The news of his passing was announced a few days ago on his own Facebook page, which chronicled his important life as a therapy dog.

It was written as a farewell and a love letter, from the viewpoint of Mac himself, “meant for the heart of each and every one of you.”

“My body is tired and although I love life, it’s time to let go these trappings of age which have begun to weigh me down,” the post reads.

On his Facebook page, his handler Dawn Holt is referred to as MomBoss.

Holt, a UFV counsellor, is registered as a clinician with the Provincial Emergency Health Services, and Mac was registered with PADS (Pacific Assistance Dogs Society). The duo went to Kamloops in 2017 to help comfort victims of wildfires there.

But most of their service was at UFV, and the farewell letter was written to those who knew and loved Mac deeply.

“I want you to truly know, just how much you have given to this great golden life,” it reads. “For every moment of connection, unconditional love and encounter, I gave you a piece of my heart. You might think that after all these years, my heart would be depleted. But no. For every piece of my heart that was given away, I received at least one in return. Because love has no beginning and no end and as long as you let that love in, you need never feel empty.”

What Service Dogs Offer

Visa, a custom-trained assistance dog, helps Liam Clark, 10, navigate life.

Looking around the post-golfing gathering at Park Hills Country Club, Liam’s mother, Tammy Clark of New Enterprise, said, “Liam would never have been able to come to this before Visa. She’s made a huge difference in his life.”

Diagnosed with severe childhood anxiety three years ago, Liam and Visa teamed up two years ago through the help of Service Paws of Central Pennsylvania, a nonprofit founded in 2011 by Leslie Kelly of Altoona, who is deaf, after she struggled to afford an assistance dog.

Before Visa, Liam suffered from severely broken sleep and panic attacks that would last several hours, his mother said.

“She often knows he’s getting anxious before he realizes it,” his mother said. “We didn’t want to put (Liam) on medication. We wanted him to learn how to cope and resolve issues himself and how to calm himself down. Visa has helped him tremendously.”

Liam, Tania DeLeo of Altoona and Combat Marine veteran Branden Hill of Hooversville, Somerset County, worked with Service Paws of Central Pennsylvania to obtain their canines through New Hope Assistance Dogs Inc. in Warren. Accompanied by their dogs, they spoke to the golfers who helped raise more than $10,000 for Service Paws of Central Pennsylvania with an all-day fundraiser Thurday.

Hill received his service dog, Zeke, in June with assistance provided by Service Paws. Hill suffered a traumatic brain injury during his yearlong deployment to Afghanistan in 2008.

After leaving the Marines in 2010 after four years of service, Hill began experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, including daytime flashbacks and night terrors, and he went for help through the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2014. Hill and Zeke are in the early stages of getting to know one another and will soon go for their training together at New Hope Assistance Dogs.

DeLeo spoke about how she is raising a New Hope service puppy for her son, whom she declined to name because of privacy concerns. An experienced dog handler and owner, DeLeo said COVID-19 has impacted the pace of their dog’s training as well as their business, so the financial help from Service Paws has helped because a service dog is “a huge financial commitment.” The DeLeo family welcomed the then- 8-week-old puppy the day before the state shut down due to COVID-19. She discovered Service Paws while researching how an assistance dog could benefit her son.

Service Paws helps residents obtain a service dog and/or helps defray veterinary costs for those currently using a service dog. The all-volunteer organization serves Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Fulton, Clinton, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, Mifflin, Westmoreland and Somerset counties.

Joe Fagnani is a charter member of Service Paws. He understands how a service dog enhances quality of life as he is a person with blindness who uses a guide dog.

The annual golf fundraiser provides financial assistance for the purchase of a service dog or to cover veterinary costs for current service dog owners. SPCP sends funds directly to providers treating the dogs or to the school from which a service dog is purchased.

Golfer Tom Smith of Hollidaysburg said, “It’s a wonderful organization, and I’m happy to be on a team and help these people help out others.”

Another participant, Barbara Kooman, said she and her husband, Marty, know Fagnani through the Altoona Rotary Club and their church.

“We’ve seen how having a service dog has given him the opportunity to live independently and to more fully participate in the activities and events that make life interesting,” she said. “Joe is a good role model because he is very engaged in the community. I know folks always approach him to pet his dog. He uses that encounter to help others understand the protocols for people with a service dog.”

The Koomans have supported the golf tournament because “Joe is so passionate about helping others who could benefit from a service dog but may need some financial help to acquire a dog. It’s a great local organization helping adults and kids in our community to become more independent with the help of a service dog.”

K-9 Spartan

You may recall the story on Marshall County Sheriff Deputy Nate Klempa’s K-9 Spartan. Spartan was battling stage 4 cancer and unfortunately has passed away. Which is why the Benwood Fire Department held a flag-raising memorial Saturday to honor their friend Nate, and to pay a tribute to this special dog. God tells you to do the right thing. God tells you to do the right thing because there’s good people and like I said we love Nate, we love his dog, and that’s how it is. Those at the Benwood Fire Department say Spartan was more than a man’s best friend, he was a special service dog to the community.