The Differences Between A Well-behaved Dog And A Mediation Dog
The well-behaved dog and the mediation dog are quite similar to each other. You can train your dog to be able to interact with the environment. The most advantaged will be able to provide important information about their owners. The latter is known as a mediation dog.
Animal-assisted therapies are a resource with which they treat patients with disabilities, Alzheimer’s or autism, as well as to rehabilitate people with different addictions. Its use dates back to the beginning of the last century due to the physical, psychological and social benefits provided by the relationship of animals with human beings.
In these first experiences, horses trained for this function were mainly used. But now the dogs are the ones that have more and more prominence in these alternative therapies.
The dog of social and family mediation
The fundamental role that certain pets play in the lives of their owners is well recognized. And dogs are still the most frequently chosen emotional and psychological refuge by many people.
The approach of some psychoanalysts describes the favorable performance of some dogs to favor therapeutic changes and provide important data about their owner. What’s new in the approach is that the animal doesn’t just serve as an emotional or physical aid.
That is to say, they are not only valid as support for people with mobility problems, but also provide significant information on the way of being of their owner, their state of mind and the family atmosphere to which they belong.
In addition, the mediation dog is especially useful for family or couples therapy, since they accentuate the emotional and instinctive bonds between the different members. Simply by their presence, meeting points and disagreements between family members are quickly discovered.
For example, in families whose relationships are a source of insecurity, the pet will manifest this same feeling by showing aggressive behaviors. The information they provide is an accurate indicator of dominance and submission relationships. They also make it possible to improve behaviors to adapt them to the context of family life.
The role of well-behaved dogs
Educating your dog is very important, as it ensures that our four-legged friend is able to socialize. He will also not have dangerous attitudes with other dogs or with strangers. However, training your dog will not be quick and easy.
Education takes a lot of time and dedication, as the animal will have to first trust its educator to begin learning. It is a gradual process achieved through short sessions. Too heavy an activity could, in fact, annoy the animal, which could oppose and rebel against its educator.
Therefore, we suggest rewarding the animal for each correct attitude. The treat, which can be, for example, a dog biscuit, is positive reinforcement to encourage the same correct behavior.
It is best for each family member to participate in the educational session, even if only for a short time. In this way, the animal will easily obey different individuals and not just its master. However, only by creating a close relationship of trust and affection between man and animal can a really good educational achievement be obtained.
Main characteristics of the mediation dog
They are dogs with a great concept of social group and they are called ‘mediators’, because they rarely initiate conflicts, but they intervene in them to try to solve them.
They are animals with high control over their actions, especially with enormous control of their mouth. The objective of their interventions is not to harm, but just the opposite: to prevent other members of the group from being harmed.
The mediation dog has been allowed to make decisions for himself throughout his life, so that, in a conflict situation, they do not need or expect authorization from their human companions to participate in its resolution.
Your self-esteem is not damaged by the way people have treated you. They understand and use canine communication to perfection. Generally, they are little or not spiteful, and can participate to solve a specific situation. Then they can cope with a perfectly friendly relationship with those other members of the social nucleus.
Canine psychology
Each dog is different, depending on its breed, its behavior patterns, the stimuli it receives from the environment, its experiences and the people who take care of it. Even within the same litter, subjects with a very dissimilar nature can be seen (dominant, submissive, enterprising, investigative, fearful, etc.). This diversification leads to different educational methods.
