TDI Testing....... - Page 3

SW don't let Louise's snide, smug, snippy and uncalled for remarks make you think you did not achieve something really great with Chaos.  Some people can only feel good about themselves when they are trying to make others feel bad.

policemom, you are so right about that.  Doesn't matter what kind of post I put up, the same person always seems to find something to say about it to make it out to be nothing.  I am definitly proud of my boy and how he handled himself on Sunday.  He has totally changed from a year ago!  While I was there, there were 5 other dogs that had either been through it or were waiting to go through it.  All didn't pass.  So not ALL dogs pass it no matter if they are a GSD or not!  So NO, it's not just a simple little test, Louise.  Oh but I forgot, your dogs can do anything, lol!!!!!!!!!  Thanks again policemom and everyone else who sent me private messages and emails.

If I were in a nursing home, I could not wait until you and Chaos came to visit me.  I think it is a wonderful thing to do and requires alot of patience and personal time.  Good luck in your endeavors.

Aweee that's sweet sunshine.  If you were in a nursing home, we would be glad to come visit ya

That's a great accomplishment Shepherd Woman.

Here is a nice article I read last month and thought I'd share it with you.

Good luck to you and your dog. Have Fun!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/the-healing-power-of-dogs/?scp=1-b&sq=the+healing+power+of+dogs&st=nyt

The Healing Power of Dogs

Dogs have long had special standing in the medical world. Trained to see for the blind, hear for the deaf and move for the immobilized, dogs have become indispensable companions for people with disabilities.

But dogs appear to be far more than four-legged health care workers. Over the years, data on the larger role dogs play in health has trickled out from various corners of the world. One Japanese study found pet owners made 30 percent fewer visits to doctors. A Melbourne study of 6,000 people showed that owners of dogs and other pets had lower cholesterol, blood pressure and heart attack risk compared with people who didn’t have pets. Obviously, the better health of pet owners could be explained by a variety of factors, but many experts believe companion animals improve health at least in part by lowering stress.

Dogs, in particular, also have been shown to do remarkable things to improve the health of their owners. There are stories of dogs warning their owners of imminent health threats. In 2003, University of Florida researchers published a report in the journal Seizure noting that some dogs seem to have an innate ability to detect impending seizures. A 2000 report in the British Medical Journal examined case studies of dogs alerting people with diabetes of a coming hypoglycemic episode.

More recently, some studies have suggested dogs can be cancer detectors. In 2006, the medical journal Integrative Cancer Therapies reported how ordinary house dogs could identify breast and lung cancer patients by smelling their breath. A University of Maine study is testing whether dogs can sniff out ovarian cancer.

The role dogs play in medicine is celebrated in a new book, “Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs’’ (Alyson Books, 2007), which chronicles the numerous ways dogs contribute to our health. Author Sharon Sakson is a journalist and television producer, dog breeder and American Kennel Club dog-show judge. She admits to being biased about her subject matter, and she tends to write about the mundane details of dogs and their owners. Much of the evidence surrounding dogs and health is anecdotal, although Ms. Sakson includes many references to published research. The stories of service dogs are particularly impressive, as is the nascent research into dogs’ ability to detect cancer.

Ms. Sakson said she first began thinking about the link between dogs and health while reporting an earlier book on men and dogs. A few men she interviewed who had AIDS credited their dogs with playing a role in their improved health.

While Ms. Sakson says more studies are needed to show exactly what role dogs play in health, any dog owner already k

oops, cut short.

Here is the rest of the story. Sorry

While Ms. Sakson says more studies are needed to show exactly what role dogs play in health, any dog owner already knows the benefits of their relationship with their pet.

“I went into it because I loved my dogs — they can do so much for our society,'’ said Ms. Sakson. “There’s no question they give us emotional support.'’

Thanks so much for posting that.  What a great article.

More recently, some studies have suggested dogs can be cancer detectors. In 2006, the medical journal Integrative Cancer Therapies reported how ordinary house dogs could identify breast and lung cancer patients by smelling their breath. A University of Maine study is testing whether dogs can sniff out ovarian cancer.

And this I keep bringing up, happened to me.  My own dog saved my life. 

I took Eischa, my dog out of rescue to my Great Uncle who was in a nursing home after a stroke.  She would for all the experts on this board not be considered really breedworthy but that was not a goal for "us".  Weeks after our visit there, they were still talking about her.  My Great Uncle felt very honored in her presence and felt proud that she could give so much to so many by just being there.  His companion dog could not accompany him into the nursing home.  I wish I had a digital camera at that time to have documented the time we spent there.  For some reason these sensitive animals pick up on things, we as humans cannot.  Eischa is not a dog that shows much emotion to strangers but she just put her head on my Great Uncle's lap and allowed him to stroke her.  She played tug with him.  It gave him alot of pleasure.  A week later he passed away.   

Wow sunshine sounds like a great dog.   Sounds like it's just what he needed at that time.  Glad your dog was there for him.