HUMAN AND DOG INTERDEPENDENCY by Luigi Hilario

HUMAN AND DOG INTERDEPENDENCY:
The Benefits of Dog Assisted Therapy On The Personality
As Well As The Environment Of People

Luigi Hilario
Psychology 260
Dr. Leon James
June 22, 1994

Table Of Contents

I. Introduction ................................................................... 1

II. Library Research............................................................. 2

III. Do Dogs Have Personality?................................................ 5

Capability of Learning................................................. 6

Similarities of Human and Dog Behavior........................... 7

IV. Is There A Relation Between Owners and Dogs In ..................... 8

Their Personality?

V. Puppy Behavior Test ........................................................ 9a

VI. Perceptions of Pet Owners From Nonpet Owners....................... 10

VII. Advantage of Owning Pets: Table......................................... 1Oa

VIII. How Are Dogs Different From Humans................................. 11

IX. What Functions Do Pets Serve For People?............................... 16

Enhancing The Growth of Children................................... 18

Companions To the Elderly............................................. 19

X. Phenomenological Approach To What Pets Are

About: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs................................. 22

INTRODUCTION

Pets and humans have been together since the beginning of time. The relationship that the two possess is quite interesting because for thousands of years, human-companion animal bond have existed. However, only in recent years have studies been conducted to acquire data concerning the subject matter. Pets is such a general topic to cover. My emphasis will be on the human and dog bond. Dogs are similar to people in terms of personality. Dogs having personality is still a controversy. There are those that believe that dogs possess personality, while there are others who are skeptical about areas such as cognition. I am with the former on the view of personality. Readers will learn more about my family dog, a Doberman name Kili.

Studies have shown that dogs can favorably influence the environment of people, both external and internal. Dogs have served as therapy for various groups in society including children, the elderly, handicapped and prison inmates. With the help of dogs these people were able to overcome whatever was hindering them from functioning in society and preventing them enjoying life, whether it be physical or emotional traumas. Dogs are beneficial in that they enhance the growth and learning process of children. They act as companions to the elderly, thus providing them with a meaningful life where they again can begin to think positively about their lives. Dogs have also touched the lives of what many see as society's social outcasts--the prisoners by assisting them to become aware of their feelings.

It is evident that the pursuit towards intimate relationship with pets vary in degree in terms of each individual's needs and circumstances. Nevertheless, the human-companion animal bond is associated with many beneficial aspects, regardless of the different needs of individuals.

LIBRARY RESEARCH

In the first day of class, after learning that we had to write two 15 pages of report (but later changed to one 20 page report) was overwhelming. I said to myself, "Gosh, this is too impossible!" I have never written a report that was 20 pages long, nor was I sure whether to accept the challenge or to just drop the class. After doing a lot of thinking, I decided to stick around because I realized that although writing a very long report may seem frightening, the experience will benefit me thought college , especially when I take my writing intensive courses.

Two of the six possible topics that was suggested by Dr. James attracted my interest. They were: 1. pets and personality and 2. germs and personality. With the encouragement of friends and family and basing it on the degree of my own interest I chose the topic dealing with pets and personality because I could relate more to the topic since we have a family dog, a seven years old female Doberman by the name of Kili. Kili is an integral part of the family. I would really like pursue my learning on pets with the emphasis on dogs, and their personality and their effects on people.

The day after the topic was introduced I went to Hamilton Library to begin my search. I decided to start early because I wanted to get a hold of the books first. There was a strong possibility that other students will do a report on the same topic, so I was in a rush to borrow materials just in case there wasn't enough information to go around for everybody.

The UHCarl Public Access Catalog is usually the only resource that I take advantage of when doing reports. I don't bother to explore and find out other resources available to students because I don't want to go through all the trouble. However, for this research topic I have not other choice, but to use all the possible resources that may prove beneficial because we are required to do so. To search for books I consulted the UHCarl Public Access Catalog. Under Library Catalog, I typed the word PETS and got 84 items on the screen. After printing out the 84 items that was available, I continued my search, but being more specific this time. I typed the words PET+BEHAVIOR and received on display seven items. From the printout, I borrowed six books which I felt would contain a lot of information on pets. Most of the books were labeled with the call number SF411. When I went to look for the books, I was surprised to find that nobody else from the class had borrowed any books from that side of the shelf, yet. At that moment I felt proud of myself for being my search early because I had more that enough books to start with!

Furthermore, under the periodical Indexed which includes UnCover and Eric, I typed the number 40 for journal articles in all subjects. I then typed the words PET+BEHAVIOR, but the six items that came up on the screen dealt wore with scientific study of animals, such as the brain of cats. One my second try, after typed PET+THERAPY seven items appeared on screen. From these seven, I borrowed two books.

Every day I went to the library for one week and spent more than an hour at the most browsing around the floors to familiarize myself with 3 the library and to also search for other resources that I could tap into. One day, with no idea nor exact purpose in mind, I stumbled upon the reference area on the first floor. I began walking along the shelves while reading subject titles and in a little while arrived at the row that shelved the psychology books. There were rows and rows of thickly-bonded books that looked "ancient" and boring just by looking at the covers. I grabbed a red book titled Psychological Reports. On the spine, it also include d the word Abstracts. I looked under the heading pets and it had a listing or information, however, I did not know how to acquire the articles that was listed in the book. I asked the Librarian for assistance. She was very helpful. She showed me how to locate the Psychological Reports that consists of the full articles and not just the abstracts. These books, located on the third floor, proved to be useful because I was able to make copies of some articles for my report.

At the end of the week I visited the Pearl City Public Library to check for more information. I borrowed eight books that I felt would come in handy.

By the second week, I knew that I had more than enough information to work with, but I have not touched upon one of the resources that was mandatory--and that was the CD Rom at Hamilton Library. I was reluctant to use it because I have never worked the CD Roms. I thought that one must need to have a great knowledge of computers in order to learn to use the CD Rom because it looked complicated and difficult. With the help of my friend Nini, who taught me the procedures as well as assisting in the search for information I got 29 abstracts under the heading PET+THERAPY. I highlighted the ones that pertained to my report. I was very grateful and relieved for the tremendous help that Nini provided. Thus my fear of the CD Rom also disappeared.

My library search is finally over. It was not easy because I stumbled many times along the way. I got to know the library better, though. My suggestion to other students who are planning on taking this course is to start early with the search for information. Take advantage of the various sources offered by the library because one can get a great deal of information.

DO PETS HAVE PERSONALITY?

There is controversy as to whether dogs have personality. Some specialists agree that dogs indeed possess personality while others think otherwise. They feel that this notion is totally ridiculous. Dr. Ronald R. Griffin, who wrote the book Animal Thinking, clearly described the skeptics in his statement that, "Many comparative psychologists seem almost literally petrified by the notion of animal consciousness." (Caras, 1992, 147). One the other hand, however, believers would agree that "if an animal is aware of its actions, it is aware of itself. And if it is aware of itself, it is involved in some kind of thinking, or in other words, some level of cognitive process. (Caras, 1992, 165)

What indeed is the meaning of personality in this context? Does it need to be similar to human personality? It is difficult to define personality in regards to pets. According to the American heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Morris,1975, 978), personality can be defined as:

1. The state or quality of being a person. 2a. The dynamic

character, self, or psyche that constitutes and animates the

individual person and makes his experiences of life unique. 2b. A

person as the embodiment of distinct traits of mind and behavior.

3. The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental,

emotional, and mental traits of an individual.

If every word of person in the above definition is replaced with the word dog, then it provides believers with a feasible argument that dogs have personality.

Capability of learning

One of the strong arguments is that dogs are capable of learning. A dog's brain develops during the growth stage of a dog. A dog develops certain behaviors as it associates with its mother, others dogs, and with people. The latter is known by dogs as a source of affection, attention and pleasant experiences. (Hancock, 1986, 67) Since dogs are social creatures, they develop their personality with the aid of their five senses to learn about and to respond to the world around them. Thu s a dog's responses and perceptions are built into behavioral patterns that become fixed, so that a repeated event, circumstances or sensation evokes a particular response. Fixed behaviors, then, become conditioned responses or habits. (Hancock, 1986, 67 )

Through training, a dog can further learn discipline in terms of what are acceptable and considered good behavior preferred by its owner. This is an obvious indication of a dog's intelligence because a dog has the capacity to obey by following the commands of its master. With training dogs learn association, repetition, problem solving and insight learning (Hancock, 1986, 67). Through these processes pets can be then taught basic commands such as sit stand or roll or other necessary things and can be conditioned sometimes with the use of reward and punishment. But an owner must know the proper way to administer reward and punishment. "Reward increases the strength of an animal's response...but punishment does not produce decrease in animals response. Responses could even turn dangerous especially if the pet becomes vicious. One of the most well known experiment that consisted of conditioning, well classical conditioning, to be more accurate was the work done by Ivan Pavlov with dogs. He came to the conclusion that unconditioned stimuli (e.g. food) can elicit an unconditioned response, which is salivating in the case of the dogs. By making sounds whenever he gave the dogs food, he found that "the dogs salivated to t he sound even when it was no longer followed by food...in which "conditioning had occurred." (Mischel, 1993, 296-297).

Similarities of Human and Dog Behaviors

Another evidence which shows that dogs have personality is that many of their behaviors are exactly like human problems and behaviors. The Association of Pet Behavior Counselors is an England-based office that concentrates in many areas dealing with pet behaviors. They even listed problematic behaviors of pets in categories that include a) nervousness, anxiety, phobia b)aggression c)food and behavior d)messy problems, and e)bizarre problems. Examples from each category are the following:

a) Nervousness, anxiety and phobia

*Nervousness toward people due to past traumatic

experiences.

*Phobia such as constant walking in the house as if guarding

it.

b) Aggression

*Fights against rival dogs.

*Chasing cars and joggers.

c) Food and behavior

*Excessive eating

*Fussy eater due to the lack of imbalanced diet.

d) Messy problems

*Urination inside the home.

e) Bizarre problems

*Addiction to alcohol

*Obsession to shadows and lights.

The Association of Pet Behavior Counselors is helpful is assisting owners who have problems about the behavior of their pets. This group explains to owners how problems with pets can be solved.

IS THERE A RELATION BETWEEN OWNERS AND DOGS IN
THEIR PERSONALITY?

When people first purchase puppies, the criteria they usually look for is the appearance of the puppies and not the personality. In terms of appearance, the type of dog they choose does tell a lot about the personality of people since the decisions they make depend partially on their personal preferences. (Hancock, 1986, 42) Some of the more obvious preferences are whether to pick a pure-bred versus a mixed-breed dog, male or female, and small or big.

If a new owner buys a puppy and insist on knowing a little about the personality of the new dog before taking the pet home, then a Puppy Behavior Test can by administered by a tester or even by the owner. (See example of test in the following page.) The P uppy Behavior Test is reliable in observing a puppy's behavior because many personality traits that a dog will have when it mature can be observed in a young puppy. (Colflesh, 1990, 45).

Furthermore, a dog may have different characteristics to owners in different life stage. For example, single people tended to describe their dogs as less reliable; to young, childless couples their dog was more active and rough; people with older children saw their as more confident; widowed, separated, and divorced people say theirs as more aggressive; whereas old childless couple described their dogs as more reliable. (Katcher, 1983, 254) Perhaps, there is a truth in this study, but in the case of my foster mom the situation is different. She is a widow, but doesn't see Kili as an aggressive dog, but rather a loving dog whom she considers as one of her children. My mom sees Kili as a blessing. She sometimes even jokes that Kili is the reincarnation of her deceased husband because both share same behaviors such as being very loving, playful and with a huge appetite.

However, there is the possibility that people see their dog as an extension or projection of themselves and thus describe it according to their own self-concept. (Katcher, 1983, 254) According to this idea, an example given is the fact that people usually picks friends that they have a log in common with, both in interests and in personality. The more

Note. The data in page 9a is from Making Friends: Training Your Dog

Positively (p. 46) by Linda Colflesh, 1990, New York: Howell

Book House.

Have someone place the puppy on the floor approximately four feet from the

tester, who is kneeling on the floor. The tester coaxed the puppy to him with

his voice and body motions.

Responses:

A. Puppy runs to tester with tail up, jumps up.

B. Puppy takes a few seconds to look around, then comes to tester, tail up.

C. Puppy comes hesitantly, tail down.

D. Puppy will not come at all; remains frozen in place.

E. Puppy wanders off to explore room, ignoring tester.

Meanings:

A. This puppy is bold and confident. He likes people. Will you mind a

problem with your dog jumping up on people? Don't be taken in by this

attractive response. Bold dogs are difficult to control.

B. Moderate response.

C. Puppy is less sure of himself, especially in a strange place, but still

attracted to people. May be easier to control. See if pup's confidence

increases as test progresses.

D. Puppy is scared, intolerant

of stress. Look for trembling to indicate degree of fear. This puppy may be shy of strangers.

E. There may be two reasons for this response. One is that the puppy is not

a people-oriented dog, preferring to satisfy his own curiosity than to seek

company. His independence may make him hard to train. The other

reason for this response is that the puppy is not attracted to strangers, but

may still bond well to one person.

2. Following

The tester stands up and walks away from the puppy, talking to the puppy

encouragingly. Walk about ten to twenty feet, if there is room.

Responses:

A. Follows readily, tail up, gets underfoot or runs ahead.

B. Follows readily, tail up.

C. Follows hesitantly. tail down.

D. Does not follow; remains frozen in place.

E. Wanders off to explore.

Meanings:

A. While attracted to people, this puppy is also assertive. May need an

equally assertive owner.

B. Confident. but ready to follow owner, literally and figuratively.

C. Puppy less confident.

devoted the friends are to each other, then their similarity will tend to intensify. This type of relationship will have a similar effect on humancompanion animal bond because as the tow develops close association with each other the pet, in time, will be gin to possess characteristics that resembles its owner.

It is also indicated that dog training is a significant factor in fostering similar characteristics of the owner to the dog. According to Judith M. Hancock, author of Friendship: You and Your Dog, "...it is the human that raises the dog, molds its character, teaches it to conform to his ways--not the other way around. ( 53) In addition a dog's behavioral capacity... is modified by our efforts in schooling and deliberately "training" the puppy from the first...and throughout its life, to be basically compliant with our wishes and perform certain actions, stops, or come to us when given verbal commands. (Neville, 1992, 28-29)

Perceptions On Pet Owning By Pet Owners From Nonpet Owners

When it comes to pet ownership, there is a tendency to compare pet owners from nonpet owners. There are differences in both group's perception of owning a pet. The Health Science Schools of the University of Minnesota mailed questionnaires to over 400 hou seholds in Minnesota to find out the different perceptions and attitudes from pet and nonpet owners of having a pet. A summary of the result is in the following page. The results indicated that "owners expressed more frequently the importance of feelings such as love and affection, pleasure, and beauty."(Katcher, 1983, 274) Whereas, nonowners felt that sporting use and protection of pets serves as a major advantage to owning a pet. The

Note. The data in page 10a is from New Perspectives on Our Lives

with Companion Animals (p. 270) by Aaron Honori Katcher and

Alan M. Beck, 1983, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania

TABLE 23.3. ADVANTAGES OF OWNING PETS: COMPARISON OF PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES BETWEEN PET OWNERS AND NONOWNERS

Attributes Perceived Advantages	By Pet Owners* No. __ Percent t	By Nonowners No. __ Percent t __ P
Pleasure Love and affection Beauty Temperament and habit Challenge Companionship Educational Breeding value Just a pet Others Working animal Protection Sports use No advantages Total respondents Total responses Responses/respondent (M)	102 __ 58 119 __ 67 35 ___ 20 23 ___ 13 18 ___ 10 133 __ 75 20 ___ 11 15 ____ 9 7 _____ 4 5 _____ 3 5 _____ 3 53 ___ 30 9 _____ 5 2 _____ 1 177 _____ 546 _____ 3.1 _____	38 ____ 21 _____ <.001 67 ____ 37 _____ <.001 16 _____ 9 ______ <.01 7 ______ 4 ______ <.01 8 ______ 5 ______ <.05 118 ___ 66 ______ ---- 11 _____ 6 ______ ---- 8 ______ 5 ______ ---- 5 ______ 3 ______ ---- 6 ______ 3 ______ ---- 8 ______ 5 ______ ---- 75 ____ 42 ______ <.05 22 ____ 12 _____ <.001 19 ____ 11 _____ <.001 179 __________________ 409 __________________ 2.3 __________________

*Pet owners means dog and/or cat owners.

t Percent of respondents selecting an advantage (most respondents selected multiple advantages).

conclusion was that pet owners are more attuned and sensitive toward pet-human bond because of the high ratings they put for love and affection. On the other hand, nonpet owners rated less emotional advantage of pets, such as the sporting use of pets.

I believe that there is a strong relation between an owner and a dog's personality. Not only will the dog acquire similar characteristics of the owner, but it also goes the other way around. I feel that with dogs it is easier for people to learn to release emotions and show affection because the dogs provides unconditional love and they are not critical of people. I used to hate dogs. When I first met Kili, I could not stand being near her, but the more I spent time with her I grew to love her. I am the type of person that enjoys hugging people because I've learned from those leadership camps in high school that hugging three people each day is therapeutic. It's not easy finding people to hug, so now I hug Kili because she returns the affection.

HOW ARE DOGS DIFFERENT FROM HUMANS?

Dogs have certain characteristics that makes them ideal as therapy for people because some of a dog's behavior surpasses that of a human. It is these attractive traits that drives people to invest their relationship with dogs rather than with fellow humans. To determined the differences between a dog's personality from the personality of a human, I will base it upon the three components that make up an individual. These are the affective behavior, cognitive behavior, and sensorimotor that Dr. James talked about in class.

The affective behavior are the feelings and emotions. Impulse, intuition, ID, and superego all fits under this category. Affective behavior when combined with cognitive behavior produces sensorimotor, the external behavior. (Feelings + Thoughts = External Behavior). Kili definitely shows feelings and emotions. I regard Kili more than a dog, but also a sister. I could never simply view her as a dog because she possesses he own unique personality. Well supposedly, Kili is a working dog, but I think that she is the laziest Doberman I've ever seen. (I have nothing against it, but meant it in an affectionate way.) If she's not eating, she would be in the living room watching television. She weighs 90 pounds--much more than an average Doberman would weigh. Like I have mentioned, she loves to eat! She will eat anything from her dog food to human food. I'm partly to blame for this because I usually let her lick the leftovers on my plate. I can't stand to see her just eating the same, boring dog food every day while I'm enjoying a variety of meals. My foster mom would often say, "Gee Luigi, Kili has got you trained because she knows that you won't resist her!" Yes, it's true. I'm the only one in the family that she begs food from. She's a clever dog. Whenever I refuse to give her my leftovers, she would gently lay her chin on my lap. With a pitiful expression on her face, she would look at me straight in the eye for a couple of minutes.

Furthermore, not only does she love food, but she also loves those red and white round peppermint candies. Those are her favorite candies. When she sees peppermint candies, she starts to drool and gets very excited. She knows that she gets rewarded her treat only when she sits calmly, instead of jumping to try to snatch it from somebody's hand. Kili has other favorites besides peppermint candies. She enjoys playing with blue blankets. It has to be a able blanket, or she will not touch it. I have no idea why she's attracted to blue blankets.

Believe it or not, but dogs have emotions and feelings that are found in humans. Dogs can have feelings of happiness, nervousness, insecurity, loss of confidence, anxiety, anorexia, and stress as responses to stimulus in the environment. The environment affects the behavior of dogs. It was mentioned in the previous chapter about a group of pet experts in England called the Association of Pet Behavior Counselors who visit homes and see cases of problems with dogs. They try to work out a program of treatment and suggests the use of drugs, such as sedatives to rid the dog of its problematic behavior. For an example of how they conduct their treatment on dogs, let's take a closer look at the problem of stress. t makes one wonder as to what dogs stress over. Not many owners would even relate dogs to stress, and instead owners overlook it. Situations that can lead to stress include "alterations in owner routine and lifestyle...prolonged exposure to worrying stimuli such as high frequency sound...(and) the grief following the death of a companion, human, or canine" (Neville, 1992, 256) all trigger stress. Treatment to dog is "achieved by removing or modifying the stressful influences....or using stress-relieving tranquilizer drugs."

It may seem, from what I've mentioned that dogs create more problems, but is far from the truth. The benefits of having a dog far outweighs the negative. Studies have proven that they are the best companion to have--to some extent that a relationship with a dog is considered to be more favorable than a relationship with a fellow human. Some of the reasons as stated in Child & Youth Care Forum (Mallon, 1992, 57) are:

-A relationship between a human and an animals can often be more

salutary than one between two humans.

-An animal can satisfy a human's need for loyalty, trust, and

respect.

-A relationship with an animal can be less threatening than a

relationship with a human.

-Animals can speed up the therapeutic process.

-Animals can be around 24 hours a day if they are needed.

The relationship between pets and humans will be covered in greater detail in the next section pertaining to the therapeutic functions of dogs.

The second factor, which is cognitive behavior is still in question because of a lack or research in this area. Words that go with this category includes thought, ego, forgetting, and remembering. Some experts believe that there are small amount of activity going on inside the mind of dogs, but they need more evidence to prove that dogs can think. Humans, on the other hand have the capacity to think because of their bigger brain size. With our mind, we are aware of ourselves and our surroundings and we ca n plan and think ahead about the future. However, Caras feels that, "Dogs, like people, must be shaped to a marked degree by their surroundings and a true test of their intelligence would be their efforts to shape those surroundings." (167). He is suggesting that dogs can think. Until more evidence is collected, is everybody's guess whether dogs have cognition. I like to take the benefit of the doubt. None of us are absolutely positive that dogs can think, so instead, we base it on our own experiences with our pets. If dogs do think, it would be impossible to observe the level of their thinking because they don't talk. Whereas human beings can take personality te sts such as true/false tests, fill in answer tests, or even picture tests to observe personality and cognition.

I strongly believe that Kili can think because she knows when she wants to play with us. Kili is an adorable and loving dog. She likes to be touched and hugged. When she's in a very happy mood, she would toss the other end of her blanket to one of us and play tug of war. Or, she loves to tease us with her squeaky toy (a shoe). Pretending that she would like to play, Kili would put her toy near one of us. When that person tries to reach out and grab it, Kili snatches the toy away before the person could even touch it. She would repeat the same process for a couple more times until she gets tire of playing.

Sensorimotor, the third factor consists of the external behavior that can be seen. Other external behavior are "slip of tongue" and selective forgetting. Dogs are social animals and it is necessary for them to make contact with others, especially humans during their stages of growth so that the affection toward humans can be established. Dogs socialize by playing. In the early phase of growth, playing develops body coordination, as well as interaction with other canine or with people.

The external behavior of dogs can also be affected through the process of training. In training the owner's goal is to eliminate bad behaviors while emphasizing on good behaviors. An owner can shape the personality of the dog in the way that the owners sees as appropriate. Training has its limits, very obviously. I feel that every type of dog is born with some innate characteristics. For example, Kili, a Doberman is classified a working dog. Dobermans like Kili are trained especially to be fierce and aggressive as part of t heir job, such as assisting in police work. I believe that Dobermans are born with fierce and aggressive characteristics. It is when a dog is going through training as to whether the characteristics will be strengthened by the trainer or vice versa. When the need arises, Kili can turn from an easy-going dog to an aggressive dog as in cases of strangers knocking on the front door. Her loud bark frightens people. If there are solicitors knocking on the door, like the Jehovah Witness group, Kili will not stop barking until they are already over 100 feet away from our house. So, if we don't want to answer the door we let Kili handle it.

For one, training will not bring a dog to communicate verbally. This is the big difference between human and dogs. With dogs we can only guess what they are trying to communicate with through facial expression, pitch of a dog's bark, and body motions. Dog s are much more similar to humans when it comes to external behavior. We can tell when dogs are sad or even when they are smiling.

WHAT FUNCTIONS DO PETS SERVE FOR PEOPLE?

Although dogs have served as companions for people for thousands of years, it was only a decade ago when animal-facilitated therapy programs began and just very recently have scientific observations been conducted. In 1792, a Quaker group called the Society of Friends opened the York Retreat in England in which animal facilitated therapy was first recorded. William Tuke, who was the leader founded it in response against harsh treatments toward patients in asylums where punishments was a form of treatment. The York Retreat used animals to give patients the chance to experience normal living environment. Patients learned to care for their animals. While taking care of the animals, patients learned to perform tasks necessary for use in their daily lives.

In the United States, animal facilitated therapy began in 1942 at the Pawling Army Air Force Convalescent Hospital in New York. Patients recovering from injuries and trauma were allowed to interact with farm animals as an effort to provide relaxation and diversion from their present ordeals.

Research done by Samuel and Elizabeth Corson found that, "Dogs were effective in their ability to offer love and tactile reassurance without criticism, and their maintenance of a sort of perpetual infantile dependence, which may stimulate our natural tendency to offer support and protection" (Katcher, 1983, 413.)

There are several types of animal facilitated therapy to meet the different kinds of needs and problems of people. Various kinds of animals are also being used in this type of therapy, but as I have mentioned previously, my emphasis will be on dogs. Anima l facilitated therapy is not complex, but require an understanding of the interaction between animals and humans, as well as the result of this interaction. There are four kinds of animal and human interaction. The first is "individual interaction" (Katcher, 1983, 419). In other words, animals are in the company of individuals on a full-time basis and dogs trained for the blind is an example of individual interaction. Secondly, there is the "part time companion" (Katcher, 1983, 419), that is commonly seen in elderly homes where the animal, usually a dog would visit at a designated time every week to bring "sunshine" to the residents by providing companionship, comfort and love to the elderly. The third type of interaction is called "group pet" (Katcher, 1983, 419), that usually resides in mental hospitals and prisons. Finally, there is the "living environment" (Katcher, 1983, 419). "Living environment" is a description for animals that are part of the community of living things, such as pets that includes dogs and cats.

Enhancing the Growth of Children

With the changing demands of society, the family structure is also altered. In a fast pace of life where both parents are working more children are left alone to fend for themselves. Without role models to lead them, children often times begin to shut themselves from the world and others. They have difficulty is expressing their feelings because they have been given the chance to learn. The use of dogs as therapy comes in handy in the development of children with emotional problems.

In 1989, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied the changes in social behavior of 12 autistic children (ages 5-10) both during and after their exposure to a planned animal intervention. Measures of isolation and social interaction were obtained at baseline, during treatment (18 sessions with a therapist and a dog), at posttreatment, and at one-month follow-up. There was a highly significant increase in prosocial behavior with a parallel decrease in self-absorption with the introduction of a friendly dog. The studied sample also showed fewer autistic behaviors and more socially appropriate ones. At posttreatment with no dog present, and at follow-up when there was neither the dog nor the familiar therapist, the children performed better at baseline, though there was a continuous erosion of improvement from treatment to follow- up. It was concluded in the study that the dog may have "primed" the studied sample so that they were better able to participate and enjoy social interactions.

Dogs affect the personality of children in many other ways as discovered by Boris Levinson, an American psychologist who stated that "the experience of caring for a pet during childhood could make a person more sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of others; inculcate tolerance, self-acceptance and self-control, and provide an early introduction to the facts of life and death." (Serpell, 1986, 73). For a child to have a dog is extremely meaningful for that child because a dog not only enhances the mental growth of a child (like the statement made by Boris Levinson), but a dog serves as a friend to a child. Many children view dogs as their best friend. It was also indicated that orphaned and foster children tend to look at dogs as an important source of love because sometimes dogs are the only ones that these children can share their feelings with.

Companions To The Elderly

In our society, as individuals reach old age, worthlessness, loneliness, depression, and loss of self-esteem are just some of the feelings that comes with it. Many feel that they are of no purpose to society because their old age. They feel that their social and economic roles are replaced by younger and able-bodied individuals. Elderly, especially the ones confined to nursing homes are often depressed about life with failing health and even death on their mind even when in the company of others. Many refuse to socialize with others preferring to be alone. Studies have shown that elderly can best be consoled of their pessimistic feelings through animal facilitated therapy. Dog assisted therapy is also very important kind of companionship that is beneficial to the elderly. Leo Bustad, a pioneer in pet therapy for the elderly said that,

Pet s restore order to their lives (elderly); provide a more secure grasp of

reality. When older people withdraw from active participation in daily human

affairs, animals in particular can become increasingly important Although the

potential for significant b enefits to a great variety of people exist through

association with companion animals, the potential seems greatest in the

elderly, for whom the bond with animal companion is perhaps stronger and

more profound than at any other age (Cusack, 1984, 31 )

Senior citizens really benefit from the companionship they have with their dogs. I can see the living proof through my foster mom. She is 57 years old. after her husband died, she bought Kili. Kili is her significant other in her life because they have a very close and intimate relationship. Kili is her baby daughter. In one year she is moving to the mainland and Kili is going along. While all of us, her children, will still be in school she knows that she won't be alone in her new house because Kili will be there.

Pets provide the elderly with many physiological benefits which ranges from lowering of blood pressure when interacting with pets, to increase in self-care while caring for pets. In terms of lower blood pressure, studies conducted have shown that talking to pets lowers blood pressure, whereas talking to a person can have the opposite effect. With 20 the latter, while trying to provide for the best nutrition and health conditions for their pets, the elderly can be motivated to provide these things for themselves.

Elderly can also benefit psychologically from dogs. Dogs are a source of companionship for the elderly and helps to promote good health because the individual will not be suffering from loneliness. Furthermore, "Pets provide unconditional and nonjudgmental love and affection to the human recipient." (Cusak, 1 984, 36.) Also, seniors don't need to worry too much for their safety or protection because they are comforted with the knowledge that they dog would risk losing its life for their protection.

Helping To Build Self-Esteem and Trust Among Prisoners

Prison environments are also changing with the utilization of animals as part of the inmates therapy. Establishing communication has been an ongoing problem within prison. Obviously, prisoners show difficulty in expressing their feelings to staff workers, but the main reason for the lack of communication is that prisoners see no importance in talking to staff and the reason for this is lack of trust on the prisoners' part. With animals, the goal for prisoners was that they would learn to "open up" themselves and begin to deal with their emotions.

After the success that dog assisted therapy had on children and elderly group for years, a pet therapy program was then established at several prisons including Joseph Harp Correctional Center (JHCC) in Oklahoma. Having puppies in the presence of inmates showed improvements in the Center because it was due to the decrease in aggression among inmates. Handling the puppies triggered emotions for the inmates because the inmates were able to release feelings they won't usually show to other humans. In the Joseph Harp Correctional Center there was a 43% decrease in aggression from 68% in 1990 to 39%.

The success of the Purdy Women's Prison indicates that dogs indeed makes an impact on the lives of prisoners. The women handled the dogs in a different manner. The women learned to groom and train dogs. The purpose of this program was to improve each individual by acquiring new skills, to provide morale, and to help others with what was learned. It was also hoped that the women would choose new directions when they leave the prison system.

PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH TO WHAT PETS ARE ABOUT:
MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

We have seen the importance of animals in the lives of people. People shape the personality of their pets through training and by using other methods, but it is the pets that make a greater impact on owners. It is pets that affect people's environment. They have benefited people because animals have assisted in the needs of people. Love, safety, and security are just a few of the human needs that pets have shared with people. Pets tremendously enhance the well being of people.

The personality concept that best describes what pets are about and how they have affected the lives of people is the phenomenological approach to personality in which Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is categorized under. "Abraham Maslow wanted to focus on the qualities of feeling and experience that seem to distinguish self-actualizing, fully functioning people." (Mischel, 1993,250.) He established a theory that humans must first fulfill each growth needs of the ladder to reach the top, which is self-actualization. These growth needs include physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and finally, self-actualization. (Mischel, 1993, 250.)

Pets provide for people's physiological needs as described in the therapeutic process. They help to relieve stress, loneliness, and aggressive behaviors for example. The reason that animals are used to assist in therapy is because they give people the feeling of safety and security be being companions who takes great care of their owners. In addition, the most important reason that pets, especially dogs, preferred by people over fellow human beings is their ability to provide the unconditional love toward s people. Their love can foster growth, especially in children, it can enhance a person's health and even bring back the positive self-esteem of an individual.

I know that Kili has helped become a better individual. She made me realize that dogs have feelings too. She gives me that unconditional love and through this, I am learning and trying to love my family and my friends in the way that she does--unconditionally. When I need to "let off steam" Kili is the best listener in the world. She gives me her undivided attention. I've always appreciated that about her. According to Maslow, a person can feel "peak experiences" at certain times that is characterized by extreme happiness because of something that occurred in the person's life. With Kili, I have felt many peak experiences both physiologically and psychologically.

References

Caras, Roger A. (1992). A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us. (pp.147-165, 167,)New York: Summit Books.

Colflesh, Linda. (1990). Making Friends: Training Your Dog Positively.(pp. 45-46, 20-30). New York: Howell Book House.

Cusack, O., & Smith, E. (1984). Pets and the Elderly: The Therapeutic Bond (pp. 31-36). New York: The Haworth Press.

Eckstein, Warren., and Eckstein, Fay. (1985). Understanding Your Pet. (110). New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Fischer, Arlene., and Nieburg, Herbert. (1982). Pet Loss: A thoughtful Guide For Adults and Children. New York: Harper & Row.

Fogle, Bruce. (1981). Interrelations Between People and Pets. ( 25, 37, 5075). Springfield: Charles C. Thomas.

Fongle, Bruce. (1983). Pets and Their People. New York: The Viking Press.

Fox, Michael W. (1989). The New Animal Doctor's Answer Book. New York: Newmarket Press.

Gammonley, J., & Yates, J., (1991). Pet Projects Animal Assisted Therapy in Nursing Homes. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 17(1), 12-14.

Hancock, Judith M. (1986). Friendship: You and Your Dog. (pp. 42-53, 67 New York: E.P. Dutton.

Haynes, Marcia. (1991, August). Program Lifts Spirits, Reduces Violence In Institution's Mental Health Unit Corrections Today, pp. 120,122.

Katcher, A. H., & Beck, A. M., (1983). New Perspective on Our Lives with Companion Animals (pp. 254-274, 413-419 ). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Levinson, Boris M. (1972). Pets and Human Development. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas.

Mallon, G. P. (1992). Utilization of Animals as Therapeutic Adjuncts with Children and Youth: A Review of the Literature. Child & Youth Care Forum, 21(1), 53-65.

Mischel, W. (1993). Introduction To Personality (5th ed.). (pp. 250, 296297). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.

Morris, W. (1975) The American Heritage Dictionary of American English (p. 978). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Neville, Peter. (1992). Do Dogs Need Shrinks? (pp. 27-30, 42-43, 48, 53, 256,). New York: Citadel Press Books.

Rice, Berkeley. (1968). The Other End of the Leash. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Schmall, V. L., & Prratt, C. (1986, Summer). Special Friends Elders and Pets. Generations, pp.44-45.

Serpell, James. (1986). In the Company of Animals. (oo, 73). New York: Basil Blackwell Inc.

Sife, Wallace. (1993). The Loss of A Pet. New York: Howell Book House.

St-Yves, A., Freeston, M. H., Jacques, C., & Robitaille, C. (1990). Love of Animals and Interpersonal Affectionate Behavior. Psychological Reports, 67, 1067-1075.

White, Betty. (1983). Pet Love. 19, 23-36,37,). New York: William Morrow and Company.

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