Dogs And Dementia

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While the use of dogs as guide dogs (“seeing-eye dogs”) began in the aftermath of World War I, the last 40 years has seen the extension of service dog training into such areas as:

More recently, the last several decades have seen the development of dementia-assist dogs. Like all other therapy dogs, these dogs provide companionship and friendship for their owner. Additionaly, various trainers teach dogs a range of different behaviors, such as:

  • Since dementia patients often become agitated, some dogs are trained to interrupt this behavior by distracting their owner, and thus help reduce the owner’s anxiety and help them refocus;
  • Walk on a leash with the owner. If the owner gives the command “Home”, the dog will lead the owner back home. The dog’s collar will have a GPS device, which will allow caregivers to locate the pair if they get lost, or if the dementia patient forgets to issue the “Home” command;
  • Fetch a patient’s medication;
  • Waking their owner up each morning;
  • Trigger an alarm in the house if the patient falls and does not get up within a reasonable amount of time, or if the dog hears a choking sound.

The breeds used most often for service dogs are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador/Golden Retriever crosses, and German Shepherds.

Here are links to several media articles about dementia-assist dogs:
The New Breed of Service Dog: Canine Caregivers for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients
Good Dogs: Dementia Service Dogs Provide Patients, Caregivers With Improved Quality of Life
Dementia Assistance Dogs
Assistance Dogs for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients

Here is one study of how use of a therapy dog can affect the quality of life of an Alzheimer’s sufferer:
Stepping out of the shadows of Alzheimer’s disease: a phenomenological hermeneutic study of older people with Alzheimer’s disease caring for a therapy dog

Here is a review of six studies (between 2016 – 2018) of the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy (AAT) with special focus on dog therapy among people with dementia, and in particular, Alzheimer’s disease:
Effectiveness of the dog therapy for patients with dementia – a systematic review

All links have been added to Alzheimers > Coping & Caregivers > Dementia Assist Dogs & Robot Pets

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia