Posted by papillon2 on November 13, 2012, at 20:37:08
In reply to Feline therapy, posted by ChicagoKat on November 12, 2012, at 16:29:45
I like to partake in canine therapy!
My dog is a rockstar at picking up on my moods and adapting himself to suit. If I am very depressed, he glues himself to my side and it is like "mindfulness mediation". When I am distressed, he insists on climbing on top of my chest and he will refuse to budge until I am calm again. He's only about 8lbs, but there is something about having his body weight pressed against my chest which is particularly calming and centering, even if I don't want him to do it at that time. I have since learnt that this is a skill that they teach to psychiatric and autism service dogs. He is a pound dog with no such training. Cool huh?!
The only problem is that when I am in a state of high anxiety he will not let anyone near me and will launch into a barking/lunging/snapping frenzy if they try. I guess he thinks I am in danger and that he needs to protect me. When I'm anxious I generally don't want anyone near me anyway, and I daresay he picks up on that too.
Ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
~ Leonard Cohen
poster:papillon2
thread:1031157
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20121113/msgs/1031265.html