Pets For Eldercare: Introducing Luna, the uncertified, non-licensed canine nurse
Luna isn’t our first family dog. One of our eldercare pets. Before her, we had a German Shepherd/Akita mix. Our first dog was black and brown and gray with big paws and a big personality. She was bred purposely to be a mixed breed, blending the herding skills of a shepherd with the protection skills of an Akita. We got her at 13 weeks when Sweet Steve was barely six months old and LeeLee was a precocious 2.
Our first dog was a working dog—as that is what shepherds do best. She was responsible, over the years, with herding her three little pups—known as my children—away from danger and towards the cookie jar. That dog once laid on a step that baby RobberBaron was trying to crawl up and refused to move until I came and stopped RobberBaron from climbing where he shouldn’t be. She worked for the family right up until the end, protecting us, overseeing the house, and supervising the kids all the way into their early teenage years.
Luna…well, she’s a little different.
It took Sweet Husband two years of grieving to be ready for another dog. When it was time, he contacted a shepherd rescue society, and in under two weeks, we adopted Luna. The beginning of many pets for eldercare.
A German Shepherd/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Luna was just over one year old when she came to live with us. Fully potty trained, she spent only one night in her crate, acclimating into our house and taking over our lives almost immediately. She is overly excited, too energetic, and much too much of a licker for some people, no doubt about it. Nobody would mistake her for the regal, proud dog we had buried.
Luna was NOT a working dog. Luna is my companion. She is bonded to me in a supernatural way—responding to my every mood and whim with such exact diligence that it is almost eerie, and Sweet Husband can gauge my mood by how the dog greets him when he walks in the door.
Luna was incredibly respectful of my parents, particularly as Pop and then Granma started to physically decline. She never pushed into them or got in the way of the walker. She didn’t lay at their feet impeding their movement or jump up on them. Unless they had food in their hands, she generally let them go their own way.
At least, we thought she kind of ignored them…
The Unbelievable Benefits Of Pets For Eldercare and Dementia
It turns out that family pets have benefits for everyone—particularly those who are suffering from mental decline like Granma with dementia. LeeLee has an emotional support cat that is worth her weight in gold. Acquired during some tough college years, LeeLee’s cat has been beneficial to LeeLee in a number of ways, supporting them in times of trouble and celebrating successes with them for a decade.
Research shows that having a pet in the home has many benefits for everyone. Depending on the type of pet—and the type of support needed—it is possible for a wide variety of animals to serve in this capacity, providing support and creating joy for everyone they come into contact with. Research also shows that something as simple as a few minutes of petting an animal can release positive and comforting hormones that help people young and old cope with illness and disease.
Introducing A Dog Into Your Care Team
Our first dog should have been a dedicated service animal. Whether finding bodies in wreckage or detecting drugs in luggage, our first dog should truly have been turned over to the government for service. She was that talented and dedicated to her job.
Beyond her incredible, untrained example, however, I have no experience with service animals. Observing how they support the lives of people in need is awe-inspiring, and I think it is fantastic how many different lives they can impact. From my understanding, there is definitely some time involved in acclimating a service dog with a new person, whether it is as a seeing-eye pet or for emotional support.
For us, it just grew organically, right under our nose.
Like people, I believe some animals are just naturally more nurturing, or are better in an emergency situation. Our first dog was incredibly intelligent, and could predict what trouble the kids were trying to get into while my back was turned. It was natural and instinctual for her. If you have that type of pet, introducing them into your care team will be simple.
Just open the door and let them in. They will magically transform the space into their own, and will bond with your loved one immediately, paving the way for support and love to flow freely between the two of them.
What Is Luna’s “Job”
She’s not just one of the eldercare pets.
Within days with Luna, I introduced her on social media to everyone with the words “Who rescued who?” under the picture. That remains true over a decade later, as I look at her laying at my feet right now waiting for the indication that work is done for the day.
So, we thought saving me was Luna’s superpower. We thought keeping me off the ledge was her real job.
It turns out, Luna is this family’s equivalent of Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney said that Mickey “was a little body whose only job was to bring joy wherever he went”. That is her superpower…she elevates the mood and pushes away the darkness. Universally.
How Has Luna Helped Us
Our first dog kept RobberBaron off the stairs, alerted us to unauthorized cookie trips, and nudged me into the kitchen once when SweetStevie wasn’t fully buckled into the highchair. That dog slept on the landing so no intruders could come up the stairs, and stood in the back glass door when I forgot to close it, just in case.
Luna appears when the mood is heavy. Luna licks my hand when my head hangs low with worry and concern. Luna squeezes under my desk when I write difficult emails or blogs, pressing her head on my lap so I know she’s there. When I’m sick, she won’t leave my bedside, and once, when I was vomiting, she ran downstairs to alert SweetHusband.
Then… Mom started to get really bad.
And Luna changed. All the energy she had given me she transferred to Mom, going from a sleepy, lazy pup all day long to a constant companion after Mom fell in 2018. Luna spent all her time in the den with Mom, overseeing her movements, and alerting us if the candy supply was getting low.
She became a watchdog. A very loving, devoted, uncoordinated watchdog.
What Training Did Luna Have To Become One Of The Eldercare Pets
She didn’t.
That’s my point.
Pets are exactly like people, in my opinion, and it’s important for you to open your house and your heart to the right pet at the right time. Our first dog protected a young and growing family, but Luna came along when the people in the house were more self-sufficient, so she simply enjoyed the good life.
But, when Mom got hurt, we saw her become the dog we saw when she first visited our home. She became the constant companion of the needy, which is exactly what we expected.
Criteria For Using Your Dog As “Therapy”
My biggest piece of advice for you is to get the right pet for your needs. We got a puppy the first time, and created the adult dog we knew we needed.
If you need a dog to be of service to you, don’t get a puppy. It is much less possible to predict the type of dog, the style of working dog, the temperament or personality that your pet will establish.
Remember LeeLee and their service cat? Rescue. One or two years old when LeeLee went into the shelter and was immediately drawn to the energy and the temperament of this beautiful cat. We knew Luna was a ball of joy and energy the very first time we met her, and it was part of what drew us to her—we needed to finish grieving for a very different type of dog, and Luna was the perfect solution.
Luna’s Finest Day Of Work
Luna “talks” to us by making long sounds from her throat. It reminds me of a cheetah or big cat “chuffing”. If you’ve never heard it, it’s quite distinctive—look it up. That’s how she communicates when the stress level is high, or someone is really ill. Or she wants a treat…it’s a multi-use sound.
One night, around 2 am, we heard Luna chuffing long and loud from the first floor. Her bed is right next to me, so we were surprised she was up at all. When I went to the top of the stairs, Mom was in her nightgown, with her purse, trying to undo the locks on the front door. She was yanking on the door so hard I could hear it, but she couldn’t turn the various locks we had added, and she was getting really mad.
There was Luna, wedged between Mom’s legs and the front door, yelling for us to come help her. She didn’t push against Mom or move an inch until I went down and got Mom to stop hitting the door. She saved Mom that night, just like she has saved me over the years.
She’s not trained.
She was a free rescue pet.
She just loves her family.
Who rescued who?
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Resources
https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/alzheimers-disease-magic-pets