Brandon's Therapy Dog
Donation protected
Brandon is a beautiful young man, he is 17 years old and lives with Autism, Intellectual Impairment and Epilepsy. Brandon in non-verbal and although he has other methods of communication, these are all still quite new to him and his ability to communicate is still very limited. Understandably Brandon can at times become very frustrated, agitated, upset and even aggressive when he is unable to effectively convey his wants, needs, feelings and emotions.
As someone very close to Brandon who has witnessed over the last four and a half years the struggles that he faces every single day, I have been searching for a way to help him since the moment we met. Brandon's anxiety has gotten to the point where doing normal everyday things such as going to the shops or the park has become nearly impossible, even just leaving the house is now a daunting task for him. Because of his autism, Brandon will flap, stim, make loud repetitive noises, touch people passing by, grab at things within reach, take things that are not his and display other behaviours that for most people would be socially unacceptable. Although Brandon lacks the ability to effectively communicate his thoughts and feelings and he is unable to effectively regulate his actions/ behaviours as most other people could, he is still very much aware when he “stands out” and when people are looking & staring at him.
Brandon is a beautiful soul and all he wants in life is for the people he loves most to be happy, but I want nothing more than for Brandon to be happy and that is why I have set myself the task of raising $13,000 in an attempt to fund a Therapy Dog for him. I hope that with the assistance of a Therapy Dog Brandon can feel as though he belongs in this world, out in his community and around the people that he loves, I want to give Brandon a companion that he can rely on to feel safe, secure and protected when he needs it the most.
The dog in the picture above is called Happy, Happy is a Labradoodle who is currently being trained to become a certified Therapy Dog for Brandon. It is my hope that when Brandon is overrun by the fear and anxiety of going out into the world or into a crowded Shopping Centre, that he will be able to rely on Happy to lower his anxiety and stress levels. When the buzzing and flickering of the lights, loud noises or any one of a myriad of other possible factor creates a sensory overload for Brandon and lead to an inevitable meltdown, hopefully he will be able to rely on Happy to help relieve some of the pain, fear and anxiety. Even though a Therapy Dog may not be a quick fix and it will certainly not erase all of the issues that Brandon has to deal with on any given day, if it can make even the slightest bit of difference in Brandon’s life then there is no doubt that raising this money is well worth it.
What Makes a Therapy Dog So Special?
Therapy dogs help build emotional bonds with people who have an intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory or physical impairment and assist them in everyday life. They are loving, non-judgemental companions that assist with cognitive functioning, social interaction and boosting self-confidence.
Breeding, developing and training Therapy Dogs is a very specialised field of work, once a puppy is selected to become a Therapy Dog it will commence its training at approximately 8 weeks of age. They will be crate trained, lead trained, house trained, obedience trained, socialised, taught everyday tasks such as getting in and out of the car and exposed to many different situations in order to ensure that they are comfortable and relaxed at all times. The training of a Therapy Dog is very considered, consistent, thorough and precise as it must prepare the dog to be reliable, stable and comfortable in many varied and unexpected situations, this requires intensive & extensive work and dedication by both trainer and dog. The dog will live in the home with their trainer who provides constant monitoring, care and training to ensure that the Therapy Dog will best benefit their intended recipient. Therapy Dogs are usually placed with their recipient by the time they are 10-12 months of age in order for the dog and recipient to develop a strong bond, each dog takes approximately 8-10 months to train and requires an investment of $13,000.
Therapy Dogs are fully certified and will receive a working jacket and certification card, they must be re-certified annually in order to ensure their level of training, stability and reliability remains consistent. Therapy Dogs can be trained to assist their recipients to perform a range of tasks, however some of their greatest strengths include:
* lowering anxiety and stress levels
* boosting happiness
* improving social skills and communication
* the development of empathy
* assist to overcome speech and emotional disorders
* improve motivation to learn
* building self-esteem and self-efficacy
* providing nurturing, accepting and unconditional love
* reducing loneliness
As someone very close to Brandon who has witnessed over the last four and a half years the struggles that he faces every single day, I have been searching for a way to help him since the moment we met. Brandon's anxiety has gotten to the point where doing normal everyday things such as going to the shops or the park has become nearly impossible, even just leaving the house is now a daunting task for him. Because of his autism, Brandon will flap, stim, make loud repetitive noises, touch people passing by, grab at things within reach, take things that are not his and display other behaviours that for most people would be socially unacceptable. Although Brandon lacks the ability to effectively communicate his thoughts and feelings and he is unable to effectively regulate his actions/ behaviours as most other people could, he is still very much aware when he “stands out” and when people are looking & staring at him.
Brandon is a beautiful soul and all he wants in life is for the people he loves most to be happy, but I want nothing more than for Brandon to be happy and that is why I have set myself the task of raising $13,000 in an attempt to fund a Therapy Dog for him. I hope that with the assistance of a Therapy Dog Brandon can feel as though he belongs in this world, out in his community and around the people that he loves, I want to give Brandon a companion that he can rely on to feel safe, secure and protected when he needs it the most.
The dog in the picture above is called Happy, Happy is a Labradoodle who is currently being trained to become a certified Therapy Dog for Brandon. It is my hope that when Brandon is overrun by the fear and anxiety of going out into the world or into a crowded Shopping Centre, that he will be able to rely on Happy to lower his anxiety and stress levels. When the buzzing and flickering of the lights, loud noises or any one of a myriad of other possible factor creates a sensory overload for Brandon and lead to an inevitable meltdown, hopefully he will be able to rely on Happy to help relieve some of the pain, fear and anxiety. Even though a Therapy Dog may not be a quick fix and it will certainly not erase all of the issues that Brandon has to deal with on any given day, if it can make even the slightest bit of difference in Brandon’s life then there is no doubt that raising this money is well worth it.
What Makes a Therapy Dog So Special?
Therapy dogs help build emotional bonds with people who have an intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory or physical impairment and assist them in everyday life. They are loving, non-judgemental companions that assist with cognitive functioning, social interaction and boosting self-confidence.
Breeding, developing and training Therapy Dogs is a very specialised field of work, once a puppy is selected to become a Therapy Dog it will commence its training at approximately 8 weeks of age. They will be crate trained, lead trained, house trained, obedience trained, socialised, taught everyday tasks such as getting in and out of the car and exposed to many different situations in order to ensure that they are comfortable and relaxed at all times. The training of a Therapy Dog is very considered, consistent, thorough and precise as it must prepare the dog to be reliable, stable and comfortable in many varied and unexpected situations, this requires intensive & extensive work and dedication by both trainer and dog. The dog will live in the home with their trainer who provides constant monitoring, care and training to ensure that the Therapy Dog will best benefit their intended recipient. Therapy Dogs are usually placed with their recipient by the time they are 10-12 months of age in order for the dog and recipient to develop a strong bond, each dog takes approximately 8-10 months to train and requires an investment of $13,000.
Therapy Dogs are fully certified and will receive a working jacket and certification card, they must be re-certified annually in order to ensure their level of training, stability and reliability remains consistent. Therapy Dogs can be trained to assist their recipients to perform a range of tasks, however some of their greatest strengths include:
* lowering anxiety and stress levels
* boosting happiness
* improving social skills and communication
* the development of empathy
* assist to overcome speech and emotional disorders
* improve motivation to learn
* building self-esteem and self-efficacy
* providing nurturing, accepting and unconditional love
* reducing loneliness
Organiser
Andrew Leigh
Organiser
Thornlands QLD
