VIRTUAL CANINE THERAPY
Are you a healthcare worker or anyone else feeling anxious, stressed, depressed, scared, overwhelmed or any other unsettling emotion during this Covid-19 pandemic? Do you wish therapy dogs weren't social distancing so they could provide some comfort? Well Ricochet does... and she's teamed up with her Pawsitive Teams Therapy Dog crew to provide virtual canine therapy!
Gazing into a dog's eyes to reduce anxiety
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Did you know making eye contact with a dog can reduce anxiety? Did you know gazing into a PHOTO of a dog's eyes creates a calming, connected state of being that, after 30 to 60 seconds, triggers the release of oxytocin in the brain? Oxytocin is a hormone that reduces anxiety and creates a calming, connected state of being. Wanna try? Scroll down to the slideshows below, take three deep breaths, click on your favorites and gaze into the dog's eyes!
Be sure to hit the play button below, as music also releases oxytocin. |
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SURF THERAPY DOG RICOCHET
Video chat therapy dog sessions
If you're a doctor, nurse, healthcare worker, first responder, essential worker, family who lost a loved one, service member or veteran with PTSD, individuals with anxiety or stress, home schooled kids, children with autism or other special needs & would like a video chat with Ricochet, please email [email protected] or go to FaceTime Visits for adults or activities with Ricochet for kids
Click on the thumbnails above for the full size photo, or scroll left or right.
PAWSITIVE TEAMS THERAPY DOGS
Click on the thumbnails above for the full size photo, or scroll left or right.
All of the dogs in the slideshows above are certified goal-directed therapy dogs with Pawsitive Teams. They have more than eight years experience working with active duty service members with PTSD from the Naval Medical Center San Diego. This six-week Canine Inspired Community Reintegration (CICR) Program is designed to help patients recovering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury re-enter the community by establishing a greater sense of trust and less hyper-vigilance in public settings. The work is directly under the guidance of a Recreation Therapist at the Naval Medical Center. Each service member is assigned a therapy dog to handle during the sessions that are held in a variety of community settings.
Scroll down for some puppy love!
About Ricochet
Ricochet has been a certified goal-directed therapy dog with Pawsitive Teams for over 11 years. She's also certified with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and holds the title of AKC Therapy Dog Distinguised (THDD). You can check out her full ruff'sume here!
Ricochet has worked with service members and veterans with PTSD for over eight years. She also serves people with different abilities, kids with autism & special needs, wounded warriors and anyone else who needs healing. Ricochet's experience with PTSD gives her the expertise to provide support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who develop PTSD from the Covid-19 pandmeic. Once it's over, she will be offering canine therapy to those who were on the front line.
Although surfing has been at the forefront of Ricochet's work, it’s not just the act of surfing that makes her interactions so life changing. It’s her compelling, one-of-a-kind ability to make immediate, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connections with strangers both in and out of the water. She's been blessed with the extraordinary and powerful gift of healing. When she meets a person it’s like they’re a book and she reads the whole book in a matter of seconds. She intuitively and empathically alerts to their emotional and physical changes which allows for profound human-animal healing interventions.
She balance boards, and lives!
Ricochet has worked with service members and veterans with PTSD for over eight years. She also serves people with different abilities, kids with autism & special needs, wounded warriors and anyone else who needs healing. Ricochet's experience with PTSD gives her the expertise to provide support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who develop PTSD from the Covid-19 pandmeic. Once it's over, she will be offering canine therapy to those who were on the front line.
Although surfing has been at the forefront of Ricochet's work, it’s not just the act of surfing that makes her interactions so life changing. It’s her compelling, one-of-a-kind ability to make immediate, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connections with strangers both in and out of the water. She's been blessed with the extraordinary and powerful gift of healing. When she meets a person it’s like they’re a book and she reads the whole book in a matter of seconds. She intuitively and empathically alerts to their emotional and physical changes which allows for profound human-animal healing interventions.
She balance boards, and lives!
About Pawsitive Teams
Pawsitive Teams is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1997. Their programs include training and placing service dogs for San Diegans with limited mobility. Their service dogs are specifically trained for someone who is physically challenged and values their independence. They also place dogs with veterans who have PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and other challenges.
In addition to Pawsitive Teams service dog program, they have a certified goal-directed therapy dog program. It's significantly different from the usual “meet and greet” hospital and nursing home type of animal assisted activities. In the PAAT (Pawsitive Animal Assisted Therapy) program, the dogs are used both as a tool and a motivator to help clients (children and adults) achieve clearly defined goals as set by their therapist or teacher. Handlers in goal-directed therapy are required to “think on their feet” as they will be requested to come up with activities their dogs can do to help accomplish the goals set by the professionals. This is different from other forms of therapy volunteering and involves far more creative thinking from the handler, who has to be actively involved with designing tasks for each interaction.
Pawsitive Teams also teaches a six-week Therapy Dog Prep Class for dog owners interested in volunteering in the community with their pet dog. For more information, go to https://www.pawsteams.org.
In addition to Pawsitive Teams service dog program, they have a certified goal-directed therapy dog program. It's significantly different from the usual “meet and greet” hospital and nursing home type of animal assisted activities. In the PAAT (Pawsitive Animal Assisted Therapy) program, the dogs are used both as a tool and a motivator to help clients (children and adults) achieve clearly defined goals as set by their therapist or teacher. Handlers in goal-directed therapy are required to “think on their feet” as they will be requested to come up with activities their dogs can do to help accomplish the goals set by the professionals. This is different from other forms of therapy volunteering and involves far more creative thinking from the handler, who has to be actively involved with designing tasks for each interaction.
Pawsitive Teams also teaches a six-week Therapy Dog Prep Class for dog owners interested in volunteering in the community with their pet dog. For more information, go to https://www.pawsteams.org.
PAWSITIVE TEAMS SERVICE PUPPIES IN TRAINING
Click on the thumbnails on the left for the full size photo, or the arrows on the photos.
MORE INFO ON EYE CONTACT & OXYTOCIN
The info below is based on in-person work with a therapy dog. But this can be done with your own personal dog too!
- Handler should always be encouraged to make eye contact with the dog and acknowledge whenever dog makes eye contact back. This behavior helps focus the handler on the present environment rather than allowing the mind to wander.
- Oxytocin is referred to as the “hug hormone” or “parenting hormone” and releases serotonin, a hormone that transmits signals between nerve cells. There are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression.
- A long gaze creates elevated levels of oxytocin, a hormone produced in the brain that is associated with nurturing and attachment, similar to the feel-good feedback that bolsters bonding between parent and child. After receiving long gazes from their dogs, the owner’s levels of oxytocin increases too, thus reducing stress and pain.
It is important that the handler acknowledge the eye contact by talking to the dog, smiling at the dog (dogs read facial expressions very well) or touching the dog. This encourages the eye contact while calming the handler at the same time
Watch Ricochet and Army Veteran, Randy Dexter work on eye contact
with Dr. Hare from Duke University's Canine Congnition Center
with Dr. Hare from Duke University's Canine Congnition Center
To turn music off so you can hear the video, scroll to the top where volume button is.
Quick SURFvey
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