Everything has a beginning, but have you ever wondered how the idea of therapy dogs began? This story dates back to 1943, with a four-pound Yorkshire terrier named Smoky.
According to the NJ Pet Community, Smoky is considered to be the very first therapy dog and it all started while serving in an active war. An American soldier found Smoky in the New Guinea jungle, where she had been abandoned in a foxhole. Corporal William Wynne of Ohio soon owned her after he had purchased her for $6.44. Over the next couple years Smoky went through combat fighting with her owner through brutal conditions, but stuck by his side.
During her time with her owner, Smoky managed to master a number of special tricks, which are what helped her get discovered as the first therapy dog. She may have performed many wartime tasks, but Smoky is considered to be the first therapy dog on record when her work as a therapy dog began in the summer of 1944.
Smoky has set the bar for all future therapy dogs, but can therapy dogs really benefit your health? According to Caroline Park, there are 10 reasons that a dog can be good for your health.
#1. Dogs boost your mood.
Research has shown that it only take 15- to- 30 minutes with your pet to help you feel more relaxed and calm. According to Ashley Miller (’16), North Central College senior, there is a certain chemical released in the body when it comes to petting a dog.
#2. Dogs are better than medicine.
Dog owners have been found to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and fewer heart attacks. According to a study by the British Journal of Health, dog owners have been found to have fewer health problems than people without pets.
#3. Dogs help you stay active.
According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, people who walk their dogs generally walk about an hour longer than those who walk without a dog. Dogs encourage their owners to walk and exercise with them, just by simply throwing a ball in the backyard.
#4. Dogs help you be more social.
A study done by Britain’s Warwick University has reported that 40 percent of people have found that they make friends easier as a result of owning a dog. According to Erika Friedmann, behavioral studies indicate that visits by a dog increase social interaction in nursing home residents, especially those with dementia.
#5. Dogs help relieve stress and are masters at helping us feel calm.
According to Tracy S. Geist, animals can reduce the physiological reaction to stress and companion dogs could affect the levels of stress by helping decrease the stress in their owners.
#6. Dogs can help kids grow stronger.
According to Science Daily kids who grow up with dogs in their house have fewer allergies and have higher levels of immune systems.
#7. Dogs help us understand cancer.
Dogs and humans get the same type of cancer.
#8. Dogs can help treat Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Dogs have been found to be beneficial to people with various medical issues. According to Friedmann et al, a meta-analysis of five experimental studies, including four conducted in nursing homes concluded that being in the presence of an animal could lead to a decrease in depression.
According to Jacqueline Bennett, some ways a dog can help an individual suffering from depression are:
- if their owner is feeling depressed, the dog’s excited face and the wagging of the tail encourages motivation.
- that they provide unconditional love; they are 100 percent judgment-free and their owner feels they have a true friend during their difficult times with depression.
- that they recognize signs of a panic attack and have the ability to keep their owner calm and relaxed.
- and they help an individual stay connected because with the technological advances in today’s world people often lose real interpersonal connections and dogs help their owners realize love and connection still exists.
#9. Dogs are therapeutic for kids with ADHD.
The child can release excess energy by playing with the dog and helps teach the child responsibility by having to care for the dog.
#10. Dogs can make you a better person.
They teach their owners how to be more patient and less selfish because caring for a dog takes a lot of responsibility and commitment that is focused on another living thing.
Remember Smoky? If not for her, we might not know about the many ways therapy dogs can help.
She started out at the 233rd Station Hospital with nurses who cared for casualties of the invasion on Biak Island.
After a little convincing, Dr. Charles Mayo, the founder of the Mayo Clinic, took on Smoky to work as a therapy dog at the clinic where she provided comfort and entertainment to injured soldiers during the day and spent the night with her owner, Wynne. Smoky continued her work as a therapy dog for the next 12 years and received a permanent spot in the history of World War II.
