Have you met Millie yet? Millie is currently in training to be the GI For Kids Therapy Dog 🙂
Millie is a black double doodle (half goldendoodle / half labradoodle) and is as curly as they come! She joined the family at GI for Kids in December of 2018 at 9 weeks of age. Since, she has been in vigorous therapy dog training through Wendy’s Canine Training. It is her goal to become certified through Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International when she turns one in October of 2019.
Not only is Millie adorable however there are actual medical benefits to having a Therapy Dog around. In a Harvard Medical Study they found that:
“Animal-assisted therapy dogs are trained to provide companionship and comfort to people in hospitals — to distract them from pain and worry about their illness, for instance, and to relieve boredom and boost their mood.”
• Interacting with dogs is calming for humans (and dogs)
• Decreases release of stress hormone cortisol
• Lowers stress-related increases in heart rate & blood pressure
• People report less fear and anxiety when petting a dog
• Petting a dog leads to release of oxytocin, hormone and brain chemical secreted by the pituitary gland during social bonding
• Dogs can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness
When she’s not at work she enjoys eating Cheerios, going to the dog park, chasing birds, playing with her fur brother and sister, and driving her mom (our infusion nurse, Lacey) crazy.
If you ever see Millie feel free to say hi she loves to make new friends!
