Dog Therapy Day, hosted by UCSB’s Health & Wellness Center, is a great way for students to de-stress at the end of the quarter. The hands-on, interactive therapy is provided by Love on a Leash, the Foundation for Pet-Provided Therapy, and “Linkin,” one of Geography Professor Tommy Dickey’s purebred Great Pyrenees, is the star on its poster.
According to UCSB Health & Wellness, 98% of dog owners report that they talk to their pets, and 75% felt their dogs were sensitive to their emotions. Taking care of pets provides people with a sense of purpose. Simply petting a dog has been shown to lower blood pressure. When people were asked to perform simple tasks with their best friend present and then again with their dog present, their blood pressure was lower with their dog. Researchers concluded that participants felt their pet was less judgmental. Pets provide moments of pleasure during difficult and stressful time by shifting attention outside people’s stresses and providing a focus on the larger world.
Linkin (4 1/2) and Teddy (8), two of Professor Dickey’ “Pyrs,” are both super award winners with several titles and over 750 Therapy visits to date. They continue to do a Library Reading for Children program, Special Olympics, demonstrations at Therapy Dog Booths, and visits with seniors ranging from 84 to 97 years old. On campus, besides class visits, they have done UCSB Meningitis Clinics, 3-min Spatial Lightning talks, and will be at the Geography Department Sustainability booth April 11.
Tommy often takes his Pyrs to his classes: “I have enjoyed using lots of ways of educating students. The most fun for me is to combine a variety of topics and interests with students who are having a lot of fun and unknowingly learning when they least expect it – thanks to big, fluffy Great Pyrenees – Assistant Professors of Geography!”
