Therapy Dogs

This study compared contingent and noncontingent access to therapy dogs during educational tasks for children with autism spectrum disorder using a multielement design. The experi-menters assessed whether initial preference for the dog predicted reinforcer efficacy and how preference changed across time. A higher response rate during contingent dog sessions than baseline sessions occurred for 4 out of 5 participants, suggesting that the dog functioned as a reinforcer. One participant engaged in a high rate of responding in both contingent and non-contingent dog conditions. Preference assessments revealed idiosyncrasies, suggesting that further research is needed into the predictive nature of initial preference assessments with animals as part of the stimulus array. The experimenters also analyzed salivary cortisol before and after sessions to determine if learning about the upcoming interaction with a dog reduced salivary corti-sol in children. Cortisol was variable across participants, with only some deriving a potential physiological benefit from expecting to interact with the dog.

The Mesopotamian goddess known as Gula, appears to emerge and intertwine with earlier goddess figures Baba/Bawa and Bau - themselves protective, healing dog deities of Sumer and Akkad. Some scholars believe the name Bau/ Bawa/Baba to be onomatopoeic, mimicking the bowow of a dog bark. Baba and Bau probably echo an even more ancient reverence for dogs as creatures of healing and protection. A reverence cultivated by the close companionship, coevolution and cooperation between humans and canines since the Stone Age.

This study explores the meaning of the death of a companion animal through autoethnographic poetry in conjunction with narrative reflections. This method expands the depth and scope of poetry in qualitative research by transforming expressive works into both the subject and product of inquiry.

"Abstract:

The following article explores the etymology of the Basque word zakur ‘dog’ and the palatalized form of the same txakur, often used today to refer to small dogs and dogs in a generic sense. Particular attention is paid to the question of the relationship between the latter term and Romance forms such as cacharro ‘puppy, young dog’. The study also examines the problems that arise from etymologies put forward in the past including the most recent one of the Basque philologist Joseba Lakarra, who derives the term zakur from a compound form that, according to him, originally meant ‘guardian agazapado’, i.e., ‘crouching guardian’.

Over the past decade Lakarra has published a series of articles in which he puts forward his reconstruction of an entity he calls Pre-Proto-Basque, whose exact referential time frame is still rather unclear. In these articles a large number of new etymologies are introduced, including the one he dedicates to zakur, along with a particular kind of methodology and theoretical basis for investigating them. While the material published by Lakarra is readily available on the web, there has been little critical discussion of its merits. The present study is an attempt to remedy this situation by examining in detail the etymology of the term zakur and by doing so, to bring into focus the value of applying a more principled approach to the Basque data, one that derives it methodological and theoretical orientation from the field of cognitive linguistics, and more concretely from the emerging subfield of cultural linguistics.

In a broad sense, the term cultural linguistics refers to linguistic research that explores the relationship between language and culture, bringing the sociocultural embedding and entrenchment of language into view and consequently charting the interactions of speakers of the language with their ever changing environment, the latter understood in the amplest sense of the term. Thus, cultural linguistics has a diachronic dimension as it attempts to understand language as a subsystem of culture and to examine how various language features reflect and embody culture over time. ‘Culture’ here is meant in the anthropological sense; that is, as a system of collective beliefs, worldviews, customs, traditions, social practices, as well as the values and norms shared by the members of the cultural group.

Until very recently, there has been a dearth of research on the Basque language and culture that embraces the methodological and theoretical premises of the field of cognitive linguistics and the related sub-discipline of cultural linguistics. Outstanding exceptions have been the investigations carried out by Iraide Ibarretxe Antuñano (1). In short, very little research has been done on Euskera which takes into consideration the fact that the relationship between language and culture has significant implications for diachronic studies of the language: that language is a not only a system firmly grounded in culture, it is a macro-level system that through the individual choices of its agents at the micro-level, changes across time, dynamically. It functions therefore as a complex adaptive system (CAS) (2).
This article is the second (3) in a series in which the methodology and theoretical approaches utilized by Lakarra to develop his etymologies will be examined and contrasted with the more cognitively oriented approaches operating today to structure research in cultural linguistics. I argue that these approaches can bring new insights into the role of human cognition and individual speaker choices, most especially when applied to diachronic studies of the Basque language (4).

(1) Cf. http://unizar.academia.edu/IraideIbarretxeAntu%C3%B1ano.

(2) For further reading on the application of theoretical model of language as a complex adaptive system, cf. Roslyn M. Frank and Nathalie Gontier. 2010. On constructing a research model for historical cognitive linguistics (HCL): Some theoretical considerations. In: Heli Tissari, Paivi Koivisto-Alanko, Kathyren I. Allan y Margaret Winter (eds.), Historical Cognitive Linguistics, 31-69. Berlin y New York: Mouton de Gruyter. http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/446528/On_constructing_a_research_model_for_historical_cognitive_linguistics_HCL_Some_theoretical_considerations.

(3) The first paper in the series, “Repasando a Joseba Lakarra: Observaciones sobre algunas etimologías en euskera a partir de un acercamiento más cognitivo”, is now available online: http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/1895187/Repasando_a_Joseba_Lakarra_Observaciones_sobre_algunas_etimologias_en_euskera_a_partir_de_un_acercamiento_mas_cognitivo.

(4) There are other papers available on Academia.edu which explore the application of this CAS approach to the Basque language as well as to other European languages. These papers, especially when read in the following order, also provide an overview of the possible significance of such studies for the recuperation of aspects of European cultural and linguistic (pre-)history and identity which have not been detected previously:

a) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/344519/The_language-organism-species_analogy_A_complex_adaptive_systems_approach_to_shifting_perspectives_on_language_;

b) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/355424/Shifting_Identities_Metaphors_of_discourse_evolution; 

c) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/471942/A_single_document_containing_three_published_articles_1_Recovering_European_ritual_bear_hunts_A_comparative_study_of_Basque_and_Sardinian_ursine_carnival_performances_2_Evidence_in_Favor_of_the_Palaeolithic_Continuity_Refugium_Theory_PCRT_Hamalau_and_its_linguistic_and_cultural_relatives_Part_1_3_Evidence_in_Favor_of_the_Palaeolithic_Continuity_Refugium_Theory_PCRT_Hamalau_and_its_linguistic_and_cultural_relatives_Part._2._;

d) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/471751/Shifting_identities_A_comparative_study_of_Basque_and_Western_cultural_conceptualizations;

e) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/1193145/Palaeolithic_Continuity_Refugium_Theory_A_New_Approach_to_the_Linguistic_Prehistory_of_Europe._Azken_Glaziazio_Handiko_Babeslekua_eta_Euskara._Bergara_2011-10-19;

f) And then most particularly the later sections of these papers where the etymologies of the terms beguine and charivari are subjected to a diachronic analysis with respect to their cultural and linguistic entrenchment: http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/462898/Euskal_Herriko_Eginkizun_Erligiosoaren_Inguruko_Azterketa_Diakronikoa_Serora_eta_bere_laguntzaileak. (English translation: A Diachronic Analysis of the Religious Role of the Woman in Basque Culture: The Serora and her Helpers: http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/462178/A_Diachronic_Analysis_of_the_Religious_Role_of_the_Woman_in_Basque_Culture_The_Serora_and_her_Helpers); and 2) http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank/Papers/451548/Singing_Duels_and_Social_Solidarity_The_Case_of_the_Basque_Charivari.
"

Abstract
Objectives: Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a growing field in Australia, and therapy dogs are becoming increasingly
common in clinical settings. This paper aims to highlight the current issues facing AAT in Australia and to
make recommendations on how to progress the field. We acknowledge that there are several ways that therapy
dogs may enhance treatment outcomes for clients, such as reductions in stress and acute anxious arousal, and
improvements in engagement and rapport. These psychological and physiological advantages, however, may not
be sustained once interaction with the dog ceases. Clinicians require adequate training and support to develop and
implement interventions that are based on sound theoretical foundations, and take advantage of the adjunctive
benefits of animal presence.
Conclusions: A series of recommendations are made for the professionalisation of AAT, including the development
of consensus definitions, clinical governance, accreditation, research and evaluation.

Positive reasons (and tips) to consider involving dogs in your literacy instruction.

Walk into Laura Stinson’s Pre-K classroom and you will see lots of happy faces all excited about reading. While this may not be unusual to observers, what is a bit strange is the help the children have sitting next to them on the reading mat. Laura uses the help of a canine literacy specialist, D.D. McGuffey, and her students’ reactions make it clear that reading time is one of their favorite times of all! D.D. also makes no bones about the fact that she loves the children and that listening to them read and spending time with them is the highlight of her week as well.

The hamstring group of muscles are extensively used for generating the forward movement and for the jumping action in canine Agility. I set out to understand how much force is used in executing the jumping action in Border Collies and what might happen if this muscle group is repetitively overloaded and subsequent treatments to help rectify issues. This has implications in Agility as the amount of training and competition continues to increase, placing ever higher demands on the canine athletes. Five case studies were used, all over 5 years old and training / in competition since at least 2 years old. In each case the hamstring tendon of origin was treated on a specific limb with therapeutic ultrasound, deep-friction-massage and stretching. In all cases, improvements were noted.

For this ethnographic assignment I observed the interactions between students and the Carleton Therapy Dogs, with the goal to see if I could bear witness to the positive emotional and psychological effects that have been noted by those who visited with the dogs. These effects include reduction of anxiety and stress, as well as calming effects and many repeat visitors.

Just like parents who have children, these animals are in your charge. They are your responsibility and they depend upon you. You should know that they need most of the same things that you needed when you were a baby, toddler and child. And please, by all means, begin to teach toddlers & children to love, respect, and care about animals as early as possible. And continue doing so, so that the message stays with them throughout their lives.

" Tethering " means tying an animal up, like a horse or dog, so that its movement is restricted. Typically this feat is accomplished by means of a bridle (horse) or collar (dog) attached to the tether which is secured to the ground or other objects by various means. The big idea is that the tethered animal is restricted from free movement and may be subjected to inhumane captivity by deprivation of water, shelter, food, or even mental isolation. Yet tethering of domestic animals has been done for thousands of years. Somehow, though, by the orchestration of self-serving humaniacs and their thoughtless minions, it is construed as " cruelty " , mostly when applied to dogs so far. How did we get to this point? What is the purpose of tethering actually? Basically, because most animals, like dogs, lack good judgment and the experience to know how to stay out of trouble, tethering in the past and present has been done for the animals' own safety. By tethering, they are prevented from attacking other animals or people, running off, or getting killed by accidents and intentional killing by one individual to protect their livestock, pets, or family from another individual's animals. Tethering is also a means of restricting the animals' wandering and providing accountability for its location, as well as maintaining it in the owner's property in the absence of fences or areas with easy access. In as much as most dogs are quite athletic, the prevention of the tethering option restricts dog ownership to people with very secure yards surrounded by high, unclimbable fences, kennels with lids of some type, or the necessity of keeping the dogs inside at all times except when walked on a leash. So people who may not have these options are now restricted from dog ownership which includes most of the country. Many areas don't allow dogs in apartments or leased homes, good kennels are quite expensive (and nearly as restrictive as tethering), and truly dog-proof fences are seldom found around the average home. Dog cables are another option but are quite tricky to get right. And implementing this type of security is quite unnecessary most of the time for a number of reasons. First and foremost, tethering need not be " cruel ". Good tethering practices can use chains 15' or more in length. The construction of the tether is the most important consideration. Unfortunately it is apparently much easier to simply throw a blanket over a perceived problem than to educate the public about a particular practice, in this case tethering. For instance, one should obviously never use a rope or other type of material that a dog can easily chew through as a " tether ". Generally, a good chain of a strength proportionate to the size and strength of the dog is perfectly adequate for a tether. In addition, the collar requires careful thought and consistent checking. Leather collars, for instance, can stretch with time (unlike polyester collars), allowing the dog to eventually escape. The best practice is to use 2 collars attached by a single link. The link, in turn,

This study evaluates clinically the effect of propolis paste on healing of cutaneous wound in dogs. Under general anesthesia and
complete aseptic conditions, two full thickness skin wounds (3 cm diameter) were created in each side of the chest in five dogs,
one dorsal and one ventral, with 10 cm between them.These wounds were randomly allocated into two groups, control group (10
wounds) and propolis group (10 wounds). Both groups were represented in each dog.The wounds were cleaned with normal saline
solution and dressed withmacrogol ointment in control group and propolis paste in propolis group, twice daily till complete wound
healing. Measurement of the wound area (cm2) was monitored planimetrically at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after injury. The data
were analyzed statistically. The results revealed a significant reduction in the wound surface area in the propolis group after 14 and
21 days compared to control group.The wound reepithelization, contraction, and total wound healing were faster in propolis group
than in control group during five weeks of study. In conclusion, propolis paste has a positive impact on cutaneous wound healing
and it may be suggested for treating various types of wounds in animals.

As per the WHO, your pets can’t transmit coronavirus. Dogs can contract certain types of coronaviruses, such as the canine respiratory coronavirus, but this specific novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19, is believed to not be a threat to dogs.
The World Health Organization has stated, “While there has been one instance of a dog being infected in Hong Kong, to date, there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19. COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly.”

Brucella canis may cause infection of the sexual organs in male dogs, miscarriage in females and infertility or dyscospondilitis in
both sexes. Prompt treatment of infection involves a round of antibiotics whose length and type vary. Different drug combinations
have been used but relapse occurs shortly after therapy is discontinued. We report three cases of dogs with B. canis isolation and
positive serology that were neutered and treated with different antibiotic protocols separated by intervals of 30 days. Dogs were
monitored over a long period by clinical examination, serology, bacteriology and PCR. One of them continued to show positive
IELISA, RSAT and PCR in blood 3 years after the last treatment. Another canine showed positive urine PCR and this being an
important finding since the animal had been neutered almost 3 years ago. In spite of the small number of dogs, this report suggests
the importance of monitoring positive cases and of taking sanitary measures to prevent spread of the disease and to adequately
protect the human environment.