Child Anxiety Can Therapy Dogs Help Children Face Their Fears?

For some children, going to the hospital can trigger child anxiety. The sterile atmosphere, strange people, medical treatments, and injections make the visit very stressful for kids. However, there is one thing that may change everything the wagging tail of a friendly animal ready to make new friends.

In Northern Ireland, there are therapy and assistance dogs that are helping children become more relaxed and confident.

How Dogs Can Help With Child Anxiety

Clodagh, an autistic child, had been experiencing difficulty visiting hospitals since she was two years old. Her level of anxiety was so intense that going for appointments was very hard for her, and her parents noted that she was housebound for several months.

However, everything changed after meeting Mia, a Labradoodle aged four and a half years.

Mia goes to the children’s ward at Altnagelvin Hospital. Her serene demeanor makes her patients more comfortable. To Clodagh, hospital visits meant something to anticipate because she knew Mia would be there.

Karinne, her mother, said that the experience had changed the way they saw animals, loving them unconditionally and warmly.

How Dogs Can Help With Child Anxiety

The Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland (ADNI) trains dogs to help people with different disabilities. These can be people with autism, people who need assistance with mobility, school assistance, as well as blood glucose monitoring.

Therapy dogs can help children by:

1. Decreasing anxiety with hospital visits
2. Establishing trust in new surroundings
3. Promoting confidence and conversation
4. Helping children with difficulties attending school
5. Enhancing social skills and involvement in learning
6. Offering comfort through stressful medical treatments

For children who fear needles or medical appointments, having a familiar dog nearby can make a significant emotional difference.

Helping Children Learn and Thrive

These advantages do not only apply to hospitals therapy dogs have also made their way into classrooms.

Tally, another well-trained therapy dog, has recently joined Edenderry Primary School. Schools have realized that the presence of dogs is motivating children to speak, boost their confidence, and engage in learning.

According to ADNI, certain children who used to refuse to go to school have become excited about getting out of bed to meet their school dog.

Supporting Children With Child Anxiety

Every therapy dog must receive extensive training. Training usually begins when puppies are 8 to 12 weeks old and lasts about one year in weekly classes.

ADNI presently has 34 dogs that have been trained to work in Northern Ireland, with another six in training. Although there is an increasing demand for their services, funding issues are still faced by the organisation.

In any case, the tales of young people such as Clodagh and Caoilfhionn prove that having an affectionate canine friend is enough to make scary situations into courageous encounters.

Sometimes, getting a child to overcome his/her fear is as simple as providing the child with a furry companion.

References Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddjv6ey663o