The Role of Service Dogs - Research Paper Example

Literature Review: The Effects of Service Dogs Literature Review: Service Dogs Introduction A therapy dog is trained to care and offer comfort to patients in hospitals, retirement homes, schools, catastrophe area, and people with learning complications. A service dog is an assistance dog trained specifically to help persons with disabilities and conditions such as autism, hearing and visual difficulties. The dogs aid cognitive therapy enabling the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) victims to expose themselves gradually to feelings and thoughts reminding them of the past. The dogs offer comfort, affection, and companion that enable the victims to relax triggering the sense of flashback within them. Flashback is critical in the treatment process of PTSD. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allocates service dogs to veterans, especially who are PTSD victims. According to Shubert (2012), the dogs initially did not receive any special training, and there existed no program on dogs care. Today, the service dogs are highly trained to care for disabled individuals and those suffering from PTSD. The dogs also assist in executing and taking orders when after a period of sufficient training (Shubert, 2012). The dogs act as a source of security in some instances to the owner. In the recent development, there are specific programs designed to aid dogs training and the dogs act as companions offering comfort and companionship to humans. According to Ritchie and Amaker (2012), the deployment of service dogs to veterans with a combat and operational stress control unit was first in 2007. Dogs aided therapy began in the same year. The dogs each had a value of $ 25,000 an equivalent cost to the amount incurred during the training process. The foremost service dogs underwent a training for two years valued expensively at $ 25 000 to 50000 per year (Ritchie & Amaker, 2012). The research focuses on investigating the significance and input of service dogs towards benefiting veterans and service members diagnosed with or at risk of PTSD. The impact and input service dogs offer to the service men and women deployed in operations. Recently, there has been debate whether VA should assist veterans in need of service dogs’ assistance by funding the cost of their care through cover. In my viewpoint, the department of VA should approve funding for service dogs to help provide support to veterans with PTSD. In this paper, I will provide support showing that veterans and service members who are diagnosed with or have the potential of developing PTSD benefit from utilizing the benefits of a service dog. The paper justifies the viewpoint that service dogs are be called upon to serve the men and women in forward deployed operations. Further, the paper proves that this human and animal relationship is a healthy way for recovery. Diagnosing treatment-resistant PTSD (PST-PTSD) and Issues Faced Dunlop, Kaye, Youngner and Rothbaum (2014) highlight poor adherence to medication treatment amongst PSTD patients as a complexity issue in determining whether a patient suffers from TR-PTSD. Clinical checks attribute 80 percent adherence to a drug schedule the minimal adherence needed to ensure adequate treatment exposure. The researcher fully depends upon the answers offered by the victims in determining the whether a veteran suffers from TR-PTSD. In the adherence extremes, it is evident that the responses will lead the researcher towards making wrong and misleading conclusions. The patient should employ the use of all the necessary therapies like the use of service dogs to ensure maximum adherence to medication to avoid the complexities. In research by Shubert, J. (2012), Ensminger presents the first use of trained service dogs during the First World War in Germany to guide visually impaired soldiers. In 1999, there were 9000 guide dogs in America. The dogs also offer an assistance to the hearing impaired as highlighted in the same research. In 1973, Elva Janke’s efforts to replace a service dog that died indicated the impact and input the dogs offer in assisting the hearing impaired (as cited in Shubert research, 2012). Dogs relay warnings of looming danger to their owners. It became challenging to replace the dog entirely, an indication of the significant and major role that the dog played as a companion and an alternative ear. To the PTSD patients, the dogs offer comfort that helps them to relax and focus on the past during the recovery and treatment process. Effects of the Relationship between Human and Dogs Shubert’s research reveals Anderson et al.’s findings that about the benefits human-dog relationship poses oh human health. The benefits include increased survival rates in persons with cardiovascular diseases, reduced systolic blood pressure, minimized physician visits, and lowered plasma triglycerides. From a different perspective, Allen and associates discovered reduced physiological activity during performance of stressful tasks as a benefit of the relationship. The dogs therefore play a significant role towards the well-being of the owners. However, the relationship between the dogs and human causes conflicts of interest between the two according to Shubert’s research. The dogs may undergo pain, fear, or inability to satisfy their needs for human service. Therapy dogs, for instance, may experience stress even when working with loving owners if there are no sufficient provisions to deal with its needs. The dogs tend to be exposed to emotional stress transmitted through to them from distressed clients. The dogs sustain physical abuses because of the relationship. Pet ownership refers to the domestication of dogs for companionship and treating it with care and affection. Animal-assisted activity (AAA) refers to the human activities that the dogs carry out on behalf of the humans either because of human impairment or because of choice. From a different perspective, Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) refers to the integration of dogs to aid a treatment process like PTSD treatment. Service Dogs and Veterans with PTSD Service dogs increase patience, impulse control, and emotional regulation amongst veterans with PTSD. The input is an effective method of enhancing treatment process for the condition as discussed by Yount, Olmert and Lee (2012). Service dogs also help in the improvement of ability to display affect and decrease emotional numbness. During the Second World War, highly trained pigeons offered a means of communication (Chumley, 2012). Contemporarily, properly trained military working dogs attack the enemy and detect narcotics and explosives. In American department of defense, the dogs get involved in the accomplishments of tasks such as opening of doors and picking dropped items. The dogs through their deeper sniffing abilities help in the detection of illegal substances smuggled. The role makes the dogs a critical and essential requirement in the American defense department. Conclusion The US Department of Veteran Affairs (2014) defines service dogs as trained to perform duties that the owner cannot because of disability. They are allowed in public placed as companion of their owners. To get a service dog, a veteran’s case must be evaluated and a clinician to prescribe the ability to care for the dog and goals accomplished by the dog. Further, the veteran must be trained on handling the dog and acquire it from the prosthetic department. Veterans allocated service dogs receive veterinary care as well as equipment under the VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids. The dogs act as a companion in helping and aiding the recovery and treatment of PTSD. The VA, however, does not incur cost of maintaining a service dog. There has been debate on whether VA should assist veterans in need of service dogs’ assistance by funding the cost of their care through cover. Undoubtedly, it is justified for the VA to fund care of service dogs. References Chumley, P. (2012). Historical Perspectives of the Human-Animal Bond within the Department of Defense. The Army Medical Department Journal, 4, 18-20. Dunlop, B., Kaye, J., Youngner, C., & Rothbaum, B. (2014). Assessing Treatment-Resistant Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Emory Treatment Resistance Interview for PTSD (e-trip). Journal of Behavioral Science, 4, 511-527. doi:10.3390/bs4040511 Krol, W. (2012). Training the Combat and Operational Stress Control Dog: An Innovative Modality for Behavioral Health. The Army Medical Department Journal, 4, 46-50. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (March 18, 2014). PTSD: National Center for PTSD. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/cope/dogs_and_ptsd.asp Ritchie, E., & Amaker, R. (2012). The Early Years. The Army Medical Department Journal, 4, 5-7. Shubert, J. (2012). Dogs and Human Health/Mental Health: From the Pleasure of Their Company to the Benefits of Their Assistance. The Army Medical Department Journal, 21-29. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. (October 1, 2014). Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services: Guide and Service Dogs. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from http://www.prosthetics.va.gov/ServiceAndGuideDogs.asp Yount, R., Olmert, M., & Lee, M. (2012). Service Dog Training Program for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress in Service Members. The Army Medical Department Journal, 4, 63-69. Read More