Therapy Dogs Mauritius

03/08/2024

Come and meet Poppy at THE PAWSITIVE MARKET 🐾❤️

01/08/2024

01/08/2024

This Saturday, come and find us at THE PAWSITIVE MARKET 🐾❤️!

Find out what we do and how YOU can get involved!

➜ Volunteering as a therapy dog team
➜ Passing the Temperament Assessment
➜ Standards for all therapy dog teams
➜ Internship opportunities

Or find out about our recent evidence-based research projects using Therapy Dogs to address maths anxiety in school settings!

Our partner team - Therapy Horses Mauritius - will be there too!

Moris steriliz ou zanimo

21/06/2024

Are you looking for research-backed maths support?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁?
We engage in academic research surrounding maths anxiety and work with a UK team of psychologist math experts. We understand the impact of [1] self-esteem, [2] maths anxiety, [3] avoidance, [4] motivation and many other factors that underpin and influence success in maths. Our program does not only focus on teaching math skills, but identifying and addressing other underlying factors which influence success in maths.

A big part of addressing maths competence comes with identifying and addressing foundational gaps in learning. We identify these gaps and address them instead of attempting to first cover harder topics.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀?
There are a number of ways that dogs can positively impact maths education. The evidence shows that...

① dogs are powerful motivators that encourage children to engage with tough math topics. This can counteract the avoidance which children often display when encountering difficult maths problems.

② dogs reduce stress in humans by promoting a release of oxytocin! Oxytocin counteracts the stress hormone cortisol. Anxiety and stress can create significant barriers to learning and mask true mathematical ability.

③ self-reflection and recognition of anxious thoughts can reduce maths anxiety. We use dogs as a tool to facilitate children's recognition of their anxiety (e.g., I'm feeling anxious), and doing something positive about it (i.e., hug the dog).

④ using play-based, experiential learning with concrete examples can make maths relatable and accessible. With young children, we use real-life dog themed activities to make "abstract" math tangible.

𝗗𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀?
No, dogs do not directly increase academic skills. However, motivating children to engage with the subject, developing happy memories of maths, and creating intrinsic desire to perform maths have positive impacts on [1] self-esteem, [2] anxiety reduction, [3] engagement with the subject, and [4] academic outcomes. Why? Because practice makes pawfect.



Telfair International School, Mauritius

31/05/2024

Welcome to 𝙁𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 where every week we share game or activity that helps you bond with your dog.

Today's game comes from the ABSOLUTEDOGS LTD free Sexier Than A Squirrel Calmness E-book. We highly recommend ABSOLUTEDOGS LTD training programs for their science-backed, games-based approach to dog training which focuses on building your relationship with your dog and their value in you. The 𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦
are some of our favorites! They build your dog's habit to turn around an RUN back to you!

Interested in more training? Check out the Absolute Dogs EBook and training collection here https://lnkd.in/dmJcspch

29/05/2024

Welcome to 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮! Today's topic: how humans' lack of knowledge, failure to perceive dog stress signals, or feeling pressured to continue visits can adversely impact dogs and compromise their well-being, as well as that of service users.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8623698/

28/05/2024

𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙏𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦

Today we share the Rules of 3, developed by the Guide Dogs for the Blind (USA). https://www.guidedogs.com/puppy-raising-guidebook/terms-of-use

🐶 The Three D's:
- Distance: how long a puppy is asked to maintain a behavior
- Distraction: how close the puppy can be to a distraction or novel object -OR- how far the puppy can be from the handler to maintain a behavior
- Duration:how challenging (e.g. loud, fast, large) a distraction is

🎯 **Three Chances:**
If a puppy struggles too much while learning, it can lead to frustration. We want training to be enjoyable, so it's crucial to adjust if they're finding it tough!

🥇 First Chance:
If they struggle initially, go back to an easier step next time.
🥈 Second Chance:
If they still struggle, simplify it so they'll definitely succeed next time.
🥉 Last Chance:
If they struggle a third time, take a break! Reflect on why it was challenging and seek support if needed.

🔑 Three’s a Charm:
Completing a task perfectly three times shows they're ready for the next level of difficulty. Remember the Three D’s when deciding!

⚠️ **Why the Rules of Three Matter:**
- Reduces frustration and increases enjoyment!
- Builds behavior progressively.
- Guides when to level up difficulty.
- Increase only one D at a time; adjust others accordingly.
- Use verbal encouragement; it makes a difference!
- If they struggle, dial back to where they were last successful.

Let's make training an adventure of growth and joy for our furry friends! 🐾

26/05/2024

Thank you to everyone for contributing to a successful few months! We gained 68 followers, created 34 posts and received 276 reactions in the past 90 days! Thank you all for your continued support.🐾🐶

24/05/2024

Welcome to 𝙁𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 where every week we share game or activity that helps you bond with your dog.

Today's game comes from the absoluteDOGS free Sexier Than A Squirrel Calmness E-book. We highly recommend ABSOLUTEDOGS LTD training programs for their science-backed, games-based approach to dog training which focusesN on building your relationship with your dog and their value in you. The 𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 focuses on luring your dog into a side position to maintain proximity to you and building CALM.

Interested in more training? Check out the Absolute Dogs EBook and training collection here https://lnkd.in/dmJcspch

22/05/2024

Welcome to another 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮! Today, we're delving into the various canine factors that can influence stress levels on a particular day. Just like us humans, dogs can experience stress due to factors such as fatigue, age, ill-health, and exposure to multiple stressors.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8623698/