In the last few years mental health has received and continues to receive more and more attention, as awareness regarding the topic has increased and the well-being of the individual has been brought to the fore.
As a consequence of this, the decision to undertake paths of psychotherapy It has made its way into the minds of more and more people, and although there is still some reluctance, the therapy is becoming increasingly appreciated as time passes.
In this regard, a has developed type of alternative therapy, that sees as a co-protagonist the pet, in particular the dog, known for its characteristics of amiability, sweetness and joy that it transmits.
INTERVENTION ASSISTED WITH PET ANIMALS: PET THERAPY
THEassisted intervention with pets, Better known as pet therapy, is a psychotherapeutic strategy made official only recently in Italy but in reality it has already been active for some time in several areas of the world. Specifically, it is a series of guided interactions in which the subject, i.e. the person who has certain psychological disorders of various nature such as the autistic spectrum but also simpler mood changes, comes into contact with an animal, which can be of various types, such as donkeys, horses, rabbits, fish, cats, but above all dogs.
The typical characteristics of the animals mentioned are therefore exploited in order to solve different problems: through their docility and calm, the animals chosen for the therapeutic process they will be able to help people, for example, improve their motor skills, or increase their self-esteem and their communication and social interaction skills.
During the meetings, animals and patients will be accompanied and aided by an expert who is capable of managing the relationship between the two subjects and ensuring that positive results arise, that is, that the person perceives over time the benefits of therapy and that the animal is comfortable interacting with the specific person entrusted to it.
PET THERAPY WITH DOGS: BENEFITS AND PRECAUTIONS
An aspect to pay particular attention to when doing so pet therapy and the choice of animal: in fact the type to take into consideration, be it a horse or a rabbit or something else, depends on the characteristics of the person involved and the objectives you want to achieve. Said this, most of the time dogs are chosen, known throughout the world for their characteristics of faithful friends and good company: thanks to their innate sociability they are in fact very useful especially when the person needs to improve their ability to relate to others. Clearly the dog will need to be trained to manage similar situations, socializing him with dogs and people since he was born nursery, to allow him to grow and ensure that, once out of his enclosure, is already able to approach the outside world in a positive way and can provide help when needed.
