According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, at least one in four Canadians will suffer with at least one anxiety disorder at some point in their life. Alongside this, as many as 5% of Canadians are living with depression.
Conditions like this have been prevalent for a long time, and there are quite a few different ways to approach them. In most cases, medical treatments and long courses of therapy will be used to overcome issues like depression and anxiety. Of course, though, you don’t have to go down the traditional route, and dogs can provide an excellent alternative to the options offered by your doctor.
Why Labrador Retrievers?
Labrador retrievers have long held a strong reputation for being calm and gentle dogs. They are fiercely loyal, great at understanding human emotions, and their mere presence is enough to make most people happy, making them an excellent option for those looking for a therapy animal.
This has made these dogs one of the most common options for this job, while also creating an industry which is dedicated to rearing and training them to be able to perform the roles they need to. Of course, though, there is more to this than the dog simply making people happy, and a lot more goes into this than simply making people happy.
How do Labrador Retrievers help with Depression & Anxiety?
Labradors are extremely smart dogs, and they can be trained to handle complex tasks which even a child might struggle with. We breed specifically for health and intelligence and as a result produce dogs capable of learning over 200 different commands. This makes them an ideal companion for someone with depression or anxiety, and you can find more information about this below. It is staggering to see just how much these animals can do for their owners.
- Predicting The Future: Anxiety attacks, seizures, and other issues which come and go as a result of your condition can be very hard to predict. Labradors can be trained to see the signs of issues like this before you experience them, though, giving them the power to save you from finding yourself in a situation you can’t get out of.
- Fetching Help: Despite having no idea how to use a phone, labs can be trained to fetch one if their owner finds themselves in a state where they need help. Along with this, they can also search for other people, find medication, and get water for their owners with a simple command.
- Support & Protection: Most dogs are already very good at cheering people up, but Labradors can be trained to do this on a much deeper level. Offering paws, licking faces, and rolling around for belly rubs can provide an excellent distraction from the source of an anxiety attack, all while the dogs work to prevent strangers from being able to approach the person in distress.
- Reminders & Precautions: Acting like an organic alarm clock, Labradors with the right training can provide reminders when you need to take medication, and this can be done to a surprisingly accurate degree. Alongside this, they can also check rooms and turn on lights for those who suffer with conditions like PTSD.
- Emotional Support: As mentioned above, dogs are very good at sensing human emotions, and they will almost always be aware when you’re feeling depressed or anxious about something. Their natural response will be to offer comfort, especially when they’ve had the right training.
The side-effects of Labrador Retriever ownership
Alongside the support a Labrador will be trained to provide, simply keeping an animal like this can be enough to have a positive impact on your condition. There are a range of jobs and tasks which come with a creature like this, giving your life greater purpose, while also distracting you from the things which could trigger an attack. You can find some examples of these side-effects below.
- Exercise: Even the smartest of service and therapy dogs won’t be able to take themselves out on walks. Instead, you will need to exercise with your dog, and physical activity has been proven to have a positive impact on mental conditions like depression and anxiety.
- Time Outdoors: Most people will choose outdoor spaces to walk their dog. Much like exercise, spending time in places like this will make your soul feel peaceful, making it much easier to control the negative emotions which make it hard to live.
- Companionship: Depression and anxiety will take over when people are on their own, with the support of other people doing a lot more than you might expect to make them feel good. A dog can help to replace this need for human interaction, offering a companion who will always want to be by your side.
- Stress Relief: Spending time with pets like dogs and cats can reduce stress and anxiety without having to try. Children who grow up with pets like this are less likely to suffer with anxiety, and adults who live with them will notice these benefits.
Dogs are one of the most popular types of pet in the world, and a lot of people keep them because they like them, and not just because they provide support with conditions like depression and anxiety.
When you’re thinking about these areas, though, it’s well worth thinking about the other medical benefits of a dog. Animals like this can help to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, making them excellent companions for those with conditions like diabetes, while also offering additional benefits to those who simply want a dog around.
Getting a Labrador Retriever Puppy
Dogs as popular as Labs can prove difficult to find. Litters will often be swept up as soon as they are placed on sale, and this can be very frustrating for those who want to get their hands on a dog as soon as possible. As well, there are very few breeders who focus on selecting the smartest, healthiest labs to breed generation after generation such as we do. Many of the breeders are not professionals, they do not know how to train their dogs correctly and much of the time they breed for looks so they can get a quick sale.
Here at Lucky Labs, we’ve spent a long time working with animals like this, and are pleased to have several litters each year. This means that we almost always have puppies on offer, but you can also check with us in advance and reserve a puppy from the next group. Currently we have some reservations 18 months in advance.
We offer training to our labs, making them perfect for a range of different support roles. Not only can they help those with depression and anxiety, but they can also provide a wealth of support when it comes to disabilities and illnesses. Of course, though, we will need to have a conversation with you after you apply in order to ensure that we are able to fit the correct puppy with you for the purpose you require.
