'MiCara' means 'my friend.'
She's a Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, and while I've had two Australian Cattle Dogs before her, she has definitely been a challenge.
I've had to put a lot of work into her as she is a high drive & reactive dog (think hyperactive).
She is Level 4 with the local dog obedience club and we compete in rally obedience and agility.
As well as all this, she's qualified as a Canine Assisted Activity Dog with Therapy Dogs NSW https://therapydogsnsw.com.au/.
She loves people and is very effective as a therapy dog, which surprises many people who are familiar with cattle dogs.
We're visiting workplaces to improve morale and provide a release for stress, as well as social visits in aged care facilities.
She complements my yoga teaching and practice perfectly. I have completed training in Trauma Aware Yoga and provide a free virtual yoga class for first responders through Frontline Yoga https://frontlineyoga.com.au/ as well as volunteering with Fortem https://fortemaustralia.org.au/
My passion is in helping people suffering from PTSD and trauma, especially first responders.
What is involved in training a therapy dog?
Having a therapy dog is not just about bringing your dog into work. During our training we were both assessed as to our suitability. MiCara had to have a good level of obedience, and a suitable temperament. As a handler I was made aware of the logistics of taking a dog into workplaces and public areas, but also the awareness of how interactions are affecting MiCara.
It can be very stressful for dogs, as any animal lover knows, dogs are very intuitive and dealing with highly emotional or stressful environments can be stressful on the dog, recognising the signs of stress and advocating for your dog is essential. Then of course there is the usual care involved in having a pet, worming, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention.
The effect that MiCara has on workplaces and the aged care facilities are incredible. In my workplace, her visits have been of great success and very positively received, I've literally seen people's shoulders get lower and their whole body become less rigid while patting her. For her part she is very intuitive and knows when someone wants to interact with her and when they don't and if they are stressed.
Patients diagnosed with a range of issues, such as depression, bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Alzheimer's disease, benefit from their interaction with therapy dogs and other companion animals.
Swall A, Ebbeskog B, Lundh Hagelin C, Fagerberg I. Stepping out of the shadows of Alzheimer's disease: a phenomenological hermeneutic study of older people with Alzheimer's disease caring for a therapy dog. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2017;12(1):1347013. doi:10.1080/17482631.2017.1347013
If you or someone you know would like to incorporate therapy dog visits or welfare sessions into the workplace, feel free to send me an email.
Be free to live your best life.
Angela xx
Comments