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The Benefits of the Animal-Human Bond

Animal therapy helps with various mental and physical conditions. The goal of animal therapy is to reduce or alleviate symptoms of various conditions by strengthening the human and animal bond. The human-animal bond refers to people’s desire to interact with animals, and the calming effect it can have. Animals can provide comfort, alert others if someone is in danger, or even perform specific tasks if trained to do so to help people. Positive interactions with animals can lead to many benefits for the mind and body such as reducing stress and improved mental state.

Benefits:

The human-animal bond provides many benefits. Animal therapy can help to reduce boredom, increase movement throughout the day, provide companionship, improve mood and well-being, and increase social interactions. Additionally, it has been shown that animal therapy can even reduce pain, improve movement and coordination skills, and help increase social and behavioral skills. Furthermore, it has been shown to help decrease blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, slow breathing, aid in coping with anxiety and depression and assist in memory recall with dementia patients. Animal therapy can vary from person to person with different methods and approaches to help with what the person wants to accomplish.

How it Works:

Animal therapy involves a handler or the owner of the animal coming to each session to work with the client to help them achieve their desired goals. The trainer will go through certification processes and instructional courses for them to learn how to handle the animal properly and regarding the therapy process, then they are approved for therapy. The animal goes through immunization checks and performance checks to ensure the animal is healthy and safe. They additionally go through temperament checks to ensure the animal will behave properly. Then the animal and handler go through obedience training together to ensure the best therapy experience possible and guarantee professionalism.

Owning a Pet:

Another option that explores the benefits of the human-animal bond is owning your own pet. Having your own animal can be a great option to get many of the same benefits as animal therapy. Pets can help increase activity levels, decrease stress levels, boost social life, provide new interests or hobbies, increase your protection at home and provide companionship. If you are curious about getting a pet it is important to explore your options and determine if this is a good choice for you. It is crucial to evaluate if you are physically capable of taking care of an animal, the age and needs of the animal if finances are an issue if you want an already trained animal and the temperament of the animal. These questions will help you determine if a pet is a suitable choice for you and what kind of pet will be the best for your lifestyle. In today’s day and age, there are many resources such as dog grooming and walking that can even come to your house to help take care of your pet when needed.

Animal therapy or owning a pet are great options to consider to improve your mental and physical well-being. Animal therapy is not suitable for everyone but has been shown to help aid in decreasing depression, anxiety, pain, and provide comfort. Furthermore, this method has been proven to aid in lowering blood pressure and boosting memory recall in dementia patients. The bond with humans and animals is one that has incredibly powerful and positive effects, whether that be from animal therapy or owning your own pet.

 

For more information regarding animal therapy check out these resources:

What to know about animal therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy Research

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