denali Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 This came up on my facebook feed this morning. Lovely story- hope it is successful :) http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2014-04-14/greyhounds-offer-pet-therapy-to-people-with-brain-damage/ Greyhounds offer therapy to people with brain damage - last updated Mon 14 Apr 2014 UK North East Animals Brian is encouraged to groom the dog, called Paddy, to improve his co-ordination Photo: Greyhounds are helping people with brain damage in Gateshead, in a new kind of pet therapy, which could be rolled out across the UK. The dogs visit patients at the Chase Park Neuro Centre in Whickham once a week for a walk and a grooming session. The activity helps patients, who may have had strokes, head injuries, or neurological conditions such as MS or Motor Neurone Disease, with their co-ordination and speech. One of the patients at the centre, Brian, said he enjoyed stroking the dogs because they are gentle and kind: "Contact with any animals is a positive thing in terms of lowering blood pressure and helping patients to relax, so we were looking to see what other animals could be beneficial," said Andrew Patterson, Neuro Physiotherapist. "There is also a motivational aspect. Clients are more willing to get up and get ready quickly, when they know the dogs are coming." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I know of two greys who have been adopted to work as therapy dogs in a home for people with mental illnesses (local to me) and at least one who lives very happily in a retirement village who has a very impressive collection of homemade coats and jackets. There has also been some talk of using them as companion therapy dogs for military and ex-military members dealing with PTSD here and elsewhere, though one of the drawbacks is the training needed and a lack of familiarity with the breed among members. And Brandi is a therapy dog who visits an elder hostel with me. Thanks for posting the link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I know of two greys who have been adopted to work as therapy dogs in a home for people with mental illnesses (local to me) and at least one who lives very happily in a retirement village who has a very impressive collection of homemade coats and jackets. There has also been some talk of using them as companion therapy dogs for military and ex-military members dealing with PTSD here and elsewhere, though one of the drawbacks is the training needed and a lack of familiarity with the breed among members. And Brandi is a therapy dog who visits an elder hostel with me. Thanks for posting the link! Thats awesome. Glad there are lots of greys out there in therapy work! They are such gentle dogs, but i don't think people realise that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 How lovely - I'm so glad it got a news article so the general population see the benefits of animals in our lives. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) I know of two greys who have been adopted to work as therapy dogs in a home for people with mental illnesses (local to me) and at least one who lives very happily in a retirement village who has a very impressive collection of homemade coats and jackets. Dr Harry once visited a nursing home for elderly nuns in Brisbane. Their pet therapy dog was a greyhound. The nuns said that the grey was a perfect pet ... sweet & gentle & could reach his head onto their beds & chairs for pats & cuddles. Not the Brisbane grey, but this one, Shiner, is a pet therapy dog who visits a retirement home for nuns in San Francisco. Shiner's a rescued, retired racing greyhound. The pic says it all: (click, enlarge) Edited April 17, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 I know of two greys who have been adopted to work as therapy dogs in a home for people with mental illnesses (local to me) and at least one who lives very happily in a retirement village who has a very impressive collection of homemade coats and jackets. Dr Harry once visited a nursing home for elderly nuns in Brisbane. Their pet therapy dog was a greyhound. The nuns said that the grey was a perfect pet ... sweet & gentle & could reach his head onto their beds & chairs for pats & cuddles. Not the Brisbane grey, but this one, Shiner, is a pet therapy dog who visits a retirement home for nuns in San Francisco. Shiner's a rescued, retired racing greyhound. The pic says it all: (click, enlarge) Definitely does! So lovely :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 After a poop of a day, THANK YOU for such delightful information!!!!!! I had read of the San Franisco greyhound with the Nuns previously. What a grand chance if other greyhounds could transition to this work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Greyhounds are being homed in nursing homes and retirement villages all over Australia now it's wonderful I know of one that lives in a nursing home here on the Central Coast and I remember reading a story in The Telegraph some time ago about a greyhound going into a nursing home in Sydney (I think) and a resident who had not come out of his room for a long time was smitten with the grey and it gave him a new lease on life. They are perfect dogs for the job with their easy going nature, no doggy smell and large enough for the residents to see and not trip over them. Stan would love it! all those beds, food and luuurve he'd be livin' the dream :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) The only issue with them being in these homes, and this isn't specific to greys but to all animals in that environment, is the need for someone to be responsible for that animal. Some end up very obese because all the residents love feeding them (and, yes, Brandi has her half arrowroot biscuit each time we do a visit from one resident), but no one monitors intake, exercise, etc. So it needs to be watched. But greys are the perfect size. Brandi is the right height for pats in beds and wheelchairs, happily pops up on beds more gently than at home, and really brings people out of themselves. We do occasionally have issues if she sees the rabbits who live in the parking lot though! Edited to add that I think the grey on the Central Coast is a big black boy called King. He was most recently spotted sporting a very snazzy St Patricks Day jacket. But if Stan would enjoy it, why not give it a go? Edited April 17, 2014 by Brandiandwe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Greyhounds are being homed in nursing homes and retirement villages all over Australia now it's wonderful I know of one that lives in a nursing home here on the Central Coast and I remember reading a story in The Telegraph some time ago about a greyhound going into a nursing home in Sydney (I think) and a resident who had not come out of his room for a long time was smitten with the grey and it gave him a new lease on life. They are perfect dogs for the job with their easy going nature, no doggy smell and large enough for the residents to see and not trip over them. Stan would love it! all those beds, food and luuurve he'd be livin' the dream :) this just seems so Stan! A star of love for all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) The only issue with them being in these homes, and this isn't specific to greys but to all animals in that environment, is the need for someone to be responsible for that animal. Some end up very obese because all the residents love feeding them (and, yes, Brandi has her half arrowroot biscuit each time we do a visit from one resident), but no one monitors intake, exercise, etc. So it needs to be watched. But greys are the perfect size. Brandi is the right height for pats in beds and wheelchairs, happily pops up on beds more gently than at home, and really brings people out of themselves. We do occasionally have issues if she sees the rabbits who live in the parking lot though! Edited to add that I think the grey on the Central Coast is a big black boy called King. He was most recently spotted sporting a very snazzy St Patricks Day jacket. But if Stan would enjoy it, why not give it a go? No I meant Stan would love it as a permanent gig. I did seriously think about it with Stan through the Delta programme as he really would be perfect, he's known as the love sponge amongst my friends lol, but Maddie freaks when Stan is not with her and as she's a nervy girl she wouldn't do well so I had to can it, I couldn't leave her home alone. Edited April 17, 2014 by HazyWal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 We had the same issue with Brandi when Paige went out. So we got a third. Seemed obvious to me......And obviously not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The only issue with them being in these homes, and this isn't specific to greys but to all animals in that environment, is the need for someone to be responsible for that animal. Yes, someone has to be the designated 'owner' who's responsible. The greyhound that was resident pet in the Brisbane nursing home, for nuns, was in the care of the (non-retired) nun in charge & her two assistants. They called in Dr Harry to ask about a health problem, which was easily fixed. The San Francisco pet therapy greys, do it on a visiting basis. They're owned by a couple in the parish.... who do Racing Greyhound Rescue/Rehoming. The other 2 Brisbane therapy dogs I know of, are owned by a staff member & come to work each day.... but return to their own homes at night. One a tibbie, is owned by the manager. (His name is Aspro... brilliant name for a therapy dog! ) The other, a lovely natured maltese boy is owned by a nursing sister. Same set up. This malt boy actually got his great home thro' contact on DOL Rescue Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippy Dog Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Hi all, Just a few questions for some direction on this topic, does anybody know which nursing homes in NSW have greyhounds actually living in them rather than going home each day with an owner. Is there a GAP Vic equivalent in NSW that I could quiz about greyhounds as live in therapy dogs? Does anybody around Nowra have a greyhound therapy dog that visits nursing homes? And lastly, has anyone who does pet therapy work with their dogs had any issues with their dog eating a dropped medication off the floor? I know that's a weird one but it s a potential risk for a therapy pet and accidents can happen, pills can be spilled and a resident may not even realise they have dropped one. This actual risk came up in discussions today when we were talking about live in pets for residents to care for and freaked me out as I take my whippet Obie to work sometimes and while he is always on lead with me and I supervise him closely as he is still young and boisterous, it's another thing to watch out for. Hope this is still in line with this topic, if not I am happy to be told to start a new one. Cheers :) Sorry, didn't realise this was in the news threads, did a search on greys and nursing homes and just assumed it was general topics. Edited September 16, 2014 by Flippy Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Flippy my (not greyhound) dog visits the Nowra private hospital. I've always got my eye on where josie's nose is, especially being a scent hound. I think it comes down to supervision, we are working on training Josie to keep her nose up during visits. Edited September 16, 2014 by kelpiecuddles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippy Dog Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hi kc, Yes, was thinking you and Josie would also have to be careful. I'm thinking the hospital would be less likely to have dropped pills as they tend to be taken under individual supervision whereas in a residential care facility they are handed to residents during meal times and it is easier for one to be dropped and not noticed. I'm trying to get my manager interested in getting more pet therapy happening than we currently have and she kinda pricked up her ears when I started talking greyhounds being less of a trip hazard, fairly placid from what I've heard having no experience whatsoever with them etc so I'm thinking the more info I can gather....the more chance of more pet therapy. One resident used to always have boxers and misses them dreadfully, I take my whippet and small white fluffy to visit and she lights up for Obie cause he's closer to boxer size than a swf. Even though the nose is nowhere near boxer like hahaha she still loves him. I know one facility has live in cats but I'm worried about security for them and not straying, where I work the fencing is not cat secure or swf secure :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Greyhounds are being homed in nursing homes and retirement villages all over Australia now it's wonderful I know of one that lives in a nursing home here on the Central Coast and I remember reading a story in The Telegraph some time ago about a greyhound going into a nursing home in Sydney (I think) and a resident who had not come out of his room for a long time was smitten with the grey and it gave him a new lease on life. They are perfect dogs for the job with their easy going nature, no doggy smell and large enough for the residents to see and not trip over them. Stan would love it! all those beds, food and luuurve he'd be livin' the dream :) It's wonderful isn't it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Less dropped pills but plenty of other hazards to worry about, lots of canulas, catheters, interesting smelling bins with all sort of blood, etc products in them. At least pills don't smell interesting! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Try contacting Greyhounds As Pets. They placed all of the greys I know of living in retirement homes etc. As for dropped pills etc, I've always thought there are two commands which will save your dog's life. One is stop or wait. The other is leave it or drop it. Brandi has been explicitly trained to not touch food or anything on the floor and to drop it if it's in her mouth. And I am vigilant. But this didn't stop her getting away with some fillet steak this evening at home. To be fair, though,she helped herself to that from the kitchen counter. Just wanted to add that I'd be happy to bring Brandi out for a visit depending where you are so your manager and some residents can meet her. We're in north west Sydney. Edited September 16, 2014 by Brandiandwe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippy Dog Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Thanks Brandiandwe I'm down around Nowra so would be about a three hour drive for you so I wouldn't expect that but thanks for the offer. My Boss used to take her dog in, she's got bully breeds and the dogs and resi's loved it. My Obie is a bit of a vacuum cleaner when there's food to be had, having said that, he's very food motivated so maybe I'll have to work on the wait and leave it commands and making sure he knows I've got the best food in the room :) I'll check out the Greys As Pets pages and see what info I can get. Thanks heaps again. At the least if I can start getting more variety in dogs coming through and work my way up to something more regular (all day long) it's a start. I'd love to take Obie all day but if I'm taking people on outings I can't leave him there or take him so I just don't. Thanks kc, I've still got you and Josie in the back of my mind to come visiting hehehe HMD I would love to have a Stan and a Maddie at work, love the stories about Stan, our kitchens have sliding doors that lock so unless he bench surfs all the way across the top our fridges would at least be safe hehe I've read the stories about the greys in aged care and I've seen the reactions from residents when a dog walks into the room, it's just beautiful :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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