Most dog owners will tell you that their furry friends often help them emotionally, and service dog owners will tell you that their companion can even help them physically. Dogs are extremely comforting animals, whether they make you laugh by acting goofy or snuggle up to you when you’re upset. Dogs can be helpful companions outside of the home, however. Many hospitals utilize therapy dogs, which are used to comfort sick patients.
At PIMS, we have our own therapy dog named Winnifred “Winnie” Valentine! This adorable new addition to the PIMS team is Pomeranian/Husky mix (also known as a Pomsky). She is roughly 8 months old now, and last month she had her spay surgery, passed her Canine Good Citizenship Test, and also celebrated with the most recent graduates.
(Those of you who are familiar with our former dog mascot, Sydney, you should be relieved to know that she is simply “retiring,” as she’s becoming an older lady now so she isn’t as social as she once was).
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits that comfort dogs like Sydney and Winnie provide to students and funeral professionals as a whole.
Improving Attendance and Engagement
Dogs provide any environment they’re in with a happy and positive energy. It’s difficult not to crack a smile when spending time with a dog, especially when it’s in a place where dogs typically aren’t allowed, like in school.
According to a Frontiers in Veterinary Science study, unstructured and short term interactions with therapy dogs reduce anxiety and stress levels. This kind of stress and anxiety relief can heavily encourage a student to keep showing up for their classes and exams, especially in times when they’re nervous or stressed about their work load.
And lastly, the presence of dogs can create bonding between people. There’s often a sense of community that is felt when everyone is admiring a cute animal together, and you would be surprised how easy it is to strike up a conversation with someone while you’re both bonding with an animal.
Improving Performance and Concentration
As stated, therapy dogs reduce stress and anxiety levels, and that alone allows students to focus on their performance. It also can make a student feel like their educators are really committed to helping them knowing that a therapy dog is available to them if needed.
Creating a Supportive Space
One thing that makes dogs (and any animal, really) so appealing as companions is that they are judgement free. You could be having the most chaotic day of your life, where you are a stressed out mess, and yet your dog will only focus on comforting you and reminding you of your established routine together. A dog can simply regulate your emotions just by being there in a stressful time, which can be extremely necessary in a field like funeral care.
Final Thoughts
Comfort companions are becoming more and more popular in public spaces, and there is a good reason for that. Dogs have a healing power that sometimes just can’t be contained anywhere else with their unconditional love, judgement-free support, and tendency for silly behaviors.
If you want to learn more about our newest furry companion, you can read about her on our staff page! Feel free to follow our Facebook page as well for future Winnie updates!