Dogs Hit the Ivy League

It was only a matter of time before man’s best friend got accepted into Yale Law. Ok, maybe he doesn’t actually go there, but therapy dog Monty is definitely a Yalie. This loveable 21 pound brown border terrier mix is on loan via the Yale Law library for a three-day pilot pet therapy program.

Students at the country’s top rated law school face a lot of stress and pressure, and it is Monty’s job to help relieve some of that tension, and maybe even lower blood pressure as well. Next week, students who signed up can spend time with the therapy dog, who actually belongs to librarian Julian Aiken. According to law librarian Blair Kauffman, “It is well documented that visits from therapy dogs have resulted in increased happiness, calmness and overall emotional well-being.” Therapy dogs have been used at Tufts University, UC San Diego, and Oberlin College to help students deal with the stress of exams, and they are a fixture in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and even disaster recovery sites.

For those lucky 6.7 percent of applicants that get accepted into Yale Law, pressure is a constant part of life. They have to live up to alumni which includes presidents and Supreme Court judges, and they have a $48,000 tuition bill to worry about. Rajita Sinha, a psychologist and professor of psychiatry at Yale, welcomes the move, saying “students…need to learn ways of handling it [stress] and need help at different points in the semester.”

If all goes well with Monty and his law students, the program could turn into a permanent fixture on campus. We’re pretty sure Monty is handling the pressures of the Ivy League with aplomb. And hopefully a cute sweatshirt to keep him warm in the cold New Haven spring.

Man’s Best Friend is Also Dog’s Best Friend

With all of the horrific images and even more horrific news emerging near constantly from Japan, good news is hard to come by. This makes a recent viral video all the more heartwarming. The video showed a dog refusing to leave his canine friend, who was injured and trapped in the rubble of last week’s massive earthquake and tsunami.

The uninjured dog, who is visibly shaken and muddy, approaches the people with the camera and tries to keep them from approaching the second dog, who is lying still. He then returns to the dog and sits by him. What is really remarkable about the video is the people who are filming it; one man says he can’t watch the dogs. It’s too difficult. For millions of other people around the world, though, it is a reminder of the good nature of dogs. One viewer said, “Why can’t we humans show the same kind of loyalty and compassion?”

Disaster struck swiftly and cruelly in Japan, and besides the millions of people whose lives were impacted, so too were their pets (as well as Japan’s large population of stray dogs). PETA recommends the following safety precautions to take during natural disasters:

• Get your dogs ID tags.

• Keep important documents, like your dog’s pet medical and shot records, safe and grab them if you have to evacuate. Keeping them with your other important documents, like your ID, in a watertight container is a good idea so you don’t have to think about one more thing.

• Make a survival pack. You should have one for your family, especially if you live in an area prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or wild fires. Also include a leash, extra animal food, and other necessities for your dog.

Sometimes, it is necessary to leave your animal at home. This is heartbreaking for many dog owners but the lives of your human family are of the utmost importance. Don’t turn your dog loose. This puts him at danger of being lost or attacked or of being scared and attacking someone. It is best to leave them in a secure place in your home. Life is not always ideal; the best response is to take the dog. The worst is to set him free outside.

Leave about 10 days’ worth of water for your dog. Fill your sinks, bowls, pans, and other containers with water, and put them on the floor. If you don’t have chemicals in your toilet, leave the seats up as well. Also leave out a 10 day (or more) supply of dry dog food.

Leader of the Pack: Do You Need to Be the Alpha Dog?

A lot of the tips we get on dog training have to do with asserting dominance and making sure your dog knows that you are in charge. The reasoning is that because dogs are pack animals, they will try to become the alpha dog. If they are allowed to be the ruler of the pack, so to speak, then a host of disciplinary problems ensues. This is why many trainers suggest that you always go through the door before the dog or that if he tries to steal your pillow at night, you put him quickly in place. But is it necessary to be the leader of the pack?

Alexandra Horowitz doesn’t think so. The author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. She contends that in the wild, wolves are a family. “There’s no dominance hierarchy. It’s simply bizarre to think that your dog is trying to overtake you as an alpha.” So when your dog tries to take your spot in bed, he’s not playing psychological control games? He’s just trying to find the warm spot?

Often, there is a big disconnect between what dogs are thinking and what we think they’re thinking. Horowitz advises people to try to forget all they think they know about dogs:

“What we’ll find, in looking at dogs through a scientific lens, is that some of what we think we know about dogs is entirely borne out; other things that appear patently true are, on closer examination, more doubtful than we thought. And by looking at our dogs from another perspective - from the perspective of the dog - we can see new things that don't naturally occur to those of us encumbered with human brains. So the best way to begin understanding dogs is by forgetting what we think we know.”

One of the things dog owners do often is treat their dogs as furry people. They attribute human feelings and desires to dogs. We think they’re sad; we think they’re hungry; we think they’re bored. We think they’re trying to be the alpha. Trying to dominate the pack may not be a dog trait at all, but a human one we attribute to them.

Does Your Child Need a Reading Buddy? Get a Dog

Parents know the joy of reading Good Night, Moon or Are You My Mother? over and over…and over! Kids latch onto their favorite books and want to hear nothing else, or their stack of bedtime reading books is taller than they are. Reading is great for kids – it’s essential! But it can get tiring, if you want to be honest. And kids who are just starting to read can feel judged or pressured when they stumble over words. The answer? Dogs.

Dogs rescue people; they search for roadside bombs to keep soldiers safe; they lower blood pressure and reduce stress; they detect certain cancers. Now an early elementary school in England is finding man’s best friend to be a young reader’s best friend as well. These “read dogs,” as they are called, are specially trained greyhounds. Their job is to listen as a child reads aloud to them. They provide the perfect, nonjudgmental, patient audience.

The school in England has added Danny to their staff. After receiving five months of training, Danny is used as a reading buddy. Danny’s owner, Tony Nevett, says, “It helps with their self-esteem in reading out loud because he is nonjudgmental. He doesn’t judge them and he doesn’t laugh at them. He’s just a tool – the children don’t realize they are reading, which they might not have the confidence to do in the class.”

Does it work? Nevett sites one student, a girl with Down’s Syndrome, who has improved her reading with Danny’s help. Even though Danny never says a word – or maybe because Danny never says a word – children are confident and unafraid to take risks when it comes to reading aloud. And when Danny dozes off? “When Danny goes to sleep I tell the children that he’s dreaming about their story.”

In the United States, Reading Education Assistance Dogs are brought in by community centers, libraries, therapy groups, and more to help children gain the confidence they need. And it helps children enjoy reading, which is important for success later in school.

One question you may have: why greyhounds? Apparently, these wonderful dogs are used because they do not bark and their short hair is less likely to trigger allergies in their human reading buddies.