9781422273012

What Is a Therapy Dog?

How Therapy Dogs Came to Be The special relationship between people and dogs began thousands of years ago. While no one can know for certain, scientists believe this bond developed when the ancestors of modern dogs began to hang around the homes of ancient peoples in order to scavenge food scraps. At some point, the people began to see that the dogs were useful for protecting their homes and livestock. Over time, the animals became more domesticated. Ancient dogs were bred to herd livestock, protect property, and assist with hunting. They became an integral part of the daily life of ancient peoples. It wasn’t long before they also became valued as companions. Ancient civilizations all around the world began to see the benefit of having dogs as companions and family members. In addition to enjoying the companionship of dogs, the ancients also began to see that having animals around had some psychological and emotional benefits. The first instances of the ancients using animals to improve the mental and emotional well- being of people is recorded in ancient Greece, where the Greeks began to use horses to improve the emotional outlook of people

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