Pet Therapy Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/staging/8461/category/pet-therapy/ Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:32:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/healingwithlolaandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cropped-Lola-Me-logo_bright.crisp_.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Pet Therapy Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/staging/8461/category/pet-therapy/ 32 32 237238456 How to Create a Lasting Bond with your Dog https://healingwithlolaandme.com/how-to-create-a-lasting-bond-with-your-dog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-lasting-bond-with-your-dog Mon, 02 Dec 2024 21:48:39 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2278 The bond between an owner and their dog is something unbreakable. They are not called “man’s best friend” for nothing. Coming home to a smiling dog with a wagging tail will put a smile on anyones face! The bond with your dog is something special and of high importance in the beginning stages of getting to know eachother to gain trust.

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The bond between an owner and their dog is something unbreakable. They are not called “man’s best friend” for nothing. Coming home to a smiling dog with a wagging tail will put a smile on anyone’s face! The bond with your dog is something special and of high importance in the beginning stages of getting to know each other to gain trust. The greater the bond we have, the more resilient and confident the dog will be, making them resistant to separation anxiety and trauma. This is particularly important for rescue dogs, as they have been abandoned before and need reassurance you are their forever home. 

The bond I built with Lola was relatively quick, but it took some time to gain her trust. It took a few months before she slept in the same room as me, but eventually she wanted to be close to me! It taught me patience. Discovering I had chronic Lyme and Mold Toxicity was hard, but she has made this whole journey more bearable in the process! 

 

Benefits of Bonding with your Dog

Bonding with your dog is beneficial for both the person and dog. Dogs are so in touch with your emotions and sense sickness or sadness before you even do! Lola will not leave my side if she senses that I need her, and this is a special bond for the both of us. Also, bonding with your dog can improve their recall, their desire to please you and your bond inspires them to learn new things from you!

When a dog creates a bond with their person or family, they feel safe and secure. This allows them to trust you and feel confident in situations that would normally scare them! This was very important in Lola’s case as she was very scared of the world when I rescued her. Slowly but surely we built her confidence and trust in others again. It is still a work in progress!

As I said, when I first got Lola she was suspicious of many things – including new people on our walks. Now, when I say hello to someone on our walks and they would like to pet her, she willingly lets them pet her! She knows that I wouldn’t put her in harm’s way. Pushing any dog outside of their comfort zone or ignoring their need for space can dent that trust, so be mindful of keeping their faith!

How to Improve Bond with your dog

Lucky you, if you are already feeding, bathing and walking your dog – you already have some kind of a bond with them!  Below is a list of inspiration to increase your bond more:

  1. Start a Hobby Together 
  2. Play Together 
  3. Grab a pup cup at the local coffee shop
  4. Find a sport to do together
  5. Cuddle up

1. Start a Hobby Together

Finding a hobby that you can do together, especially if your dog is energetic – like Lola who is a Aussie/Border collie mix, is such a great bonding activity. Flyball, agility, herding cattle, or Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) are some great examples! Lola and I just started practicing agility and we are both really loving it. I don’t have a yard yet, so its a small indoor agility set to get the party started! Next summer, I plan on taking her out on the SUP with me for the first time, with a life vest of course. Also, doing some enrichment games or indoor scent games can be a great hobby to do together. Expect long pupper naps after because mental work is just as tuckering out as physical exercise!

2. Play Together

Overall, spending time with your dog is what the dog wants and is rewarding! You are their world! Playing games together helps strengthen the bond with their person. Additionally, playing a game can help use up any excess energy! 

All I say is “Do you want to PLAY?”, to Lola and the tail wags goes wild! I like to work in some obedience training while we play, which is a win win. For example, I have her sit and stay after I throw a treat or lay down first then we play hide and seek. When I first rescued Lola, she never showed interest in playing or playing fetch at all. It wasnt until 6 months later, she let her playful side show! It took patience and lots of encouragement. It took trial and error on what she liked, which was key. Putting a treat in a nerf ball was way more appealing then just a ball – also lots and lots of praise was needed for her to build her confidence! Also, puzzles worked best for her as she is a smart little cookie. 

Check out another blog on “Cost Effective ways to Mentally Stimulate your Dog” here!

3. Grab a pup cup at the local coffee shop

One of our very first bonding experience was hitting up coffee shops for pup cups. They are essentially whip cream in a cup. Our local coffee shop knows her by name now! She knows the word pup cup and gets super excited for her car ride to get her treat. Plus, if its nice weather, I sit outside and work while we work on socializing. 

pup cup
all smiles dog

4.Find a sport to do together

Some dog breeds are super athletic, while others are not! And thats ok. For some with chronic illness, this is a very personal decision. Lola is very active. It worked to help me get out of the house! Long – term, I knew I wanted to get back into hiking, running, rollerblading and water activities with her. 

In the future, getting Lola involved in Agility as a sport sounds fun, but we will see how the cookie crumbles! I do not want to put pressure on her, just find whats fun for her. Also, yoga. How cute is it seeing a dog do “down ward dog”?! #goals

5. Cuddle up

Enjoy some cuddle and calm time together. Talking to them calming about your day, while gently petting them or massaging them is great therapy for you both! This strengths your bond to your dog in so many ways! While Lola is very energetic, she is the best cuddle bug at night when we are winding down. When I am not feeling well, she leans into that and I get extra snuggles!

Key Takeaways

It is hard to deny the benefits that can be gained by working on the relationship you have with your dog. Both you and your dog will be healthier and happier for it! Rescuing Lola has been one of the best things I have done in my life. She gives me so much purpose and her loyalty to me is unparallel to anything I have experienced! 

If you want inspiration on your healing journey, join my newsletter to keep up with new blogs and health updates!

Happy Healing!

Lola and Amy

 

 

This blog is for informational purposes only to share our healing story and offer hope for a better tomorrow and not give up on yourself. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. Please work with your healthcare professional before starting any treatment plan for your safety.

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]]> 2278 Is Chronic Stress Keeping you Sick? https://healingwithlolaandme.com/is-chronic-stress-keeping-you-sick/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-chronic-stress-keeping-you-sick Sun, 01 Dec 2024 18:50:32 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2248 Stress. We all have it, but some manage it better than others. Stress management is key to laying a foundation of healing from chronic illness. I have found that high levels of chronic stress suppressed my immune function and shut down my digestion. Along with some gut infections that I needed to address along the way! Unfortunately, I was in the rat race working in marketing for many years and going back to school to get my Masters, which took a toll on my health! It left me wired and tired living on caffeine to keep plugging away leaving little time for rest and relaxation!

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Stress. We all have it, but some manage it better than others. Stress management is key to laying a foundation of healing from chronic illness. I have found that high levels of chronic stress suppressed my immune function and shut down my digestion. Along with some gut infections that I needed to address along the way! Unfortunately, I was in the rat race working in marketing for many years and going back to school to get my Masters, which took a toll on my health! It left me wired and tired living on caffeine to keep plugging away leaving little time for rest and relaxation! It almost felt like an addiction to always feel stimulated with my phone, coffee, or my racing thoughts to control everything. I know I am not alone in this feeling!

It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom and got very sick with Lyme Disease and Mold Toxicity that I was forced to slow down and get realllll honest with myself on how I was coping with stress. Joining the Primal Trust Program helped me regulate my nervous system and learn how to manage my stress. This has been a game changer for me! Now I am not perfect and moving to Level 2 this year to get deeper into becoming my True Authentic Self. I am excited for the future and will keep you all posted on how everything shakes out!

I learned that stress can range from emotional stressors to physical stressors on our body. This includes emotional stressors, such as Big T & little T trauma or stressful events (hello medical gaslighting!) that resulted in my body holding on to these frustrations and presenting in tight muscles and painful joints. And/or physical stressors such as food intolerances, chronic infections, dysregulated nervous system, fasting too long, or over-exercising.

It is never just one thing that causes nervous system dysregulation, but compounding of many factors.

Lets get nerdy on the science….

Effects of Chronic Stress on Your Body:

Stress can create a cascade of problems in your body that ultimately leads to metabolic dysfunction and gut issues. Stress can deplete nutrients, such as Vitamin B6. And because vitamin B6 helps convert the amino acid, tryptophan into serotonin, low vitamin B6 can further exacerbate mood fluctuations tied to stress. Supplementing with a B complex formula, which includes B6 vitamins, may help improve your stress response. Another common nutrients depleted with stress are vitamin C and magnesium. 

Chronic Stress can also impair digestion because during fight or flight response, the digestive process slows down or even stops! The body will divert its energy to the brain and other organs that are handling the threat – digesting your food is not top priority when your body is in perceived danger! If this becomes chronic can lead to a number of gut -related chronic conditions, like dysbiois or leaky gut. 

Lastly, chronic stress can reduce the immune systems ability to fight off pathogen (bacteria, protozoa, viruses) infections. Almost 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, called the Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT). When compromised, so is your immune system. You need a strong immune system to fight all the infections happening with chronic illness, so stress is indeed is a root issue.

Practical Stress Management Tips

  1. Get a furry friend (pet)
  2. Commit to Quality sleep
  3. Improve your Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
  4. Regularly stimulate the Vagus Nerve
  5. Move your Body
  6. Fuel Your Body with Whole Foods – Not Caffeine!

1. Get a furry friend (pet)

I get it. The last thing on your mind is taking care of something other than yourself, especially when in fight or flight or (freeze) mode fighting for air. 

Hear me out. Pets increase positive feelings and associate with less pain overall! Coming home to a smiley dog is the best feeling in the world. They just want to be loved and for you to be happy as well.Truly my happy place is with Lola and she makes anywhere home for us! It has done wonders for my emotional health. 

 Not only does pet therapy aid in chronic pain management, but also your immune system. This study, proves the positive effect of petting a dog on ones immune system function. On the contrary, owning a pet CAN be stressful at times! I don’t want to paint a picture of unicorns and rainbows all the time. But in my opinion, the good out ways the challenging times in the long-term for your healing and personal growth. 

Learn more here on how dogs can help with chronic pain.

2. Commit to Quality Sleep

When you sleep, this is when true healing happens. Your organs are naturally detoxing to get rid of cellular waste accumulated throughout the day. Poor sleep leads to a cascade of non so helpful things the next day, such as increased cortisol levels and blood sugar imbalances throughout the day typically leading to increased caffeine and unhealthy food choices to “get through the day”. This is why its so important to stop eating at least 2 hours before bed, so your body has time to complete digestion.

One easy intervention to explore is incorporating a wind-down routine, like turning off your TV, computer, and phone at least an hour before you go to sleep to avoid blue light exposure. If you have trouble falling asleep, try taking a warm bath, listening to sound bowls, practicing breathework or reading a book for 15 minutes before bed. 

3. Improve your Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Most fitness trackers are now tracking HRV, which represents the fluctuations of time (ms) in between each heartbeat. This is such a valuable tool to stay in tune with how much stress your body is under day to day. When you are relaxed, a slower HRV is more likely than when in a stressed state. The HRV reflects how adaptable your body is to stress. A low HRV is associated with many chronic illnesses, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and mental health.

A diet rich in Omega -3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, polyphenols and probotics will support a healthy HRV. This means adding in foods such as grass fed beef, olive oil, yogurt, fruits and vegetables can be very supportive! Low HRV is a result of consuming to much alcohol, saturated/trans fat and high glycemic/processed carbohydrates.They all lead to a higher heart rate and stress inthe body. Other factors include, eating to close to bedtime, illness, over-exercising and dehydration.

Improving your HRV involves exercising regularly, priortizing mental health with breathing exercises and toning your vagus nerve.

4. Regularly Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve that connects your brain to the rest of your body and is often called the body’s “super highway”.It is an essential part of your parasympthetic nervous system responsible for relaxing your body after a stressful period. It also controls digestion, heart rate, mood and your immune system. Overall, stress inhibits the vagus nerve. Lowering stress through effective management techniques is crucial to support this important nerve connection. By regularly activating your vagus nerve, you can train your body to relax more quickly and efficiently after a stressful event. Very much like exercising a muscle, if you don’t use it – you lose it! 

Calming techniques to activate the vagus nerve include:

  • Breathework (4-7-8 technique, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing)
  • Meditation and Mindfullness (goal is to pay attention and be present – not “turn off your brain”)
  • Yoga or Qi-gong or Orienting – Somatic movements (slow and intentional movements with breathework activates the vagus nerve)
  • Dancing to Music, Listening to Soundbowls with earbuds, humming and singing (the vibration on your chest helps tone the vagus nerve)

5. Move your Body

There is an abundance of research demonstrating the protective effects of exercise on stress. It has been known to reduce levels of stress and lower cortisol levels, but finding balance is key.  Be mindful of avoiding intense exercise daily and alternate with low impact movement, such as pilates, walking with ankle weights or a flow yoga. Avoid pushing your body past it’s limits – harder is not always better. It can be so challenging to get out of bed, when not feeling well. I get it. But getting outside for at least a 15 in walk after you eat or right away in the morning can do wonders! Also, I love this quick burst exercise thats only 4 mins –  HIIT workout by Dr. Zach Bush! 

6. Fuel Your Body with Whole Foods - Not Caffeine!

Avoiding added sugars and refined carbohydrates from ultra processed foods and replacing with whole food options rich in fiber and protein is a great place to start when supporting your stress management goals and healing chronic illness. Remember the nutrients depleted with chronic stress?! Well these can be replenished with fruits and vegetables!

Additionally caffeine is a stimulant and a stressor on the body. An increase can lead to more adrenaline and cortisol production, adding fuel to the fire! Can’t give it up? Try to limit, swap for matcha or drink your morning joe with your breakfast to support your blood sugar from spiking leading to a crash!

Final Thoughts

Stress management is key to laying a foundation to healing from chonic illness. If stress and trauma are not addressed on your healing journey, you can find yourself on a path of many years feeling sick and not getting better. Speaking from experience here!  Some practical tips to help manage stress are whole food nutrition choices vs fueling with caffeine, get quality sleep, improve HRV and vagal toning, and move our body.

If you want support on your healing journey, join my newsletter to keep up with new blogs and health updates!

Happy Healing!

Lola and Amy

 

This blog is for informational purposes only to share our healing story and offer hope for a better tomorrow and not give up on yourself. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. Please work with your healthcare professional before starting any treatment plan for your safety.

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]]> 2248 Tips For Socializing With Chronic Illness https://healingwithlolaandme.com/tips-for-socializing-with-chronic-illness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-for-socializing-with-chronic-illness Sun, 20 Oct 2024 20:14:22 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2210 When I was feeling my worst during my healing journey, the last thing I wanted to do was socialize. Social isolation crept in before I actively learned how to set boundaries for myself and also allow myself to grieve the once healthy vibrant young woman I was! I felt robbed of the experiences I just couldn’t do. This was hard for many of my family and friends to understand because I was always such a social butterfly! This created alot of shame and guilt on my end. I am happy to say that phase of my healing journey is behind me, but I want to help others understand that they are not alone. I see you and I hope this blog post inspires you!

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When I was feeling my worst during my healing journey from chronic illness, the last thing I wanted to do was socialize. Social isolation crept in before I actively learned how to set boundaries for myself and also allow myself to grieve the once healthy vibrant young woman I was! I felt robbed of the experiences I just couldn’t do. This was hard for many of my family and friends to understand because I was always such a social butterfly! This created a lot of shame and guilt on my end. I am happy to say that phase of my healing journey is behind me, but I want to help others understand that they are not alone. The effects of social isolation is deep and effects more people than you think. I see you and I hope this blog post inspires you!

Below are some tips I learned along the way to get my social life back and feel more myself again as I navigated healing my chronic Lyme disease:

 

Tips for Socializing With Chronic Illness

  1. Prioritize Yourself
  2. Nurture Your Relationships
  3. Plan Ahead For Events Or Cancel
  4. Set Social Goals Each Month
  5. Get a Dog (you knew this was coming, right?)

1. Prioritize Yourself

To some, prioritizing themselves feels selfish and I was one of them for quite some time. I am a recovering people pleaser who wanted to just keep the peace! But the reality is, you need to take care of your physical and mental health above all in order to be your true authentic self! I learned to set boundaries and say “no” if something wasn’t serving me. I learned to re-learn to trust my intuition and follow my heart again – it feels amazing when you tune into your needs again. This is something I learned with Primal Trust Program – tuning into your own needs and expressing them is such a powerful tool and something I never really thought about until I was forced too. I often ignored my needs for rest, as I healed because I wanted to show up for everyone else or not to be a “burden”. I know ya’ll feel me on that one!

2. Nurture Your Relationships

Making new friends when dealing with chronic illness is challenging. I was lucky enough to meet a lot of fellow lyme warriors who use Bee Venom Immunotherapy (BVT) like me, which has made this healing journey SO much less lonely. They understand the good and bad days, so I don’t need to explain myself. As someone who has moved A LOT the last few years, I am still finding my groove in making new friends outside the chronic illness community, while still deepening my current friendships around the country! Unfortunately, some friendships are lost along the way on your healing journey and thats ok! True friendship always prevails. Life goes on. Learning how to navigate explaining that I sting myself 3 times a week with honeybees isn’t something I lead with when meeting someone new either, so that was something I had to learn.

I have really made an effort to prioritize time with my family and friends dearest to me, while also learning to communicate my needs and health goals. I am oh so blessed with an amazing support system through all this! One of which is my amazing boyfriend, who is my calm in the storm. Yes, you can find love when healing!

3. Plan Ahead For Events Or Cancel

While I am feeling SO much better than I was a year ago, I still have days that I experience not so fun symptoms from dieoff! This is when I prioritize my rest and increase my detox that day to listen to my body! These days are becoming less and less thankfully, but I still do need to cancel plans time to time. As most lyme warriors can relate, brain fog, fatigue, joint pain and shortness of breath are pretty common and not the most fun to deal with, but I try not to let them stop me from living life. It is a delicate dance to find balance!

The biggest challenges for me have been:

  • Learning how to navigate safely eating out
  • Not drinking alcohol at social events
  • Navigating travel with mold toxicity 

On sting days, I am still needing to avoid certain foods/spices and alcohol that can cause histamine issues and even worse anaphylactic shock if its a perfect storm. Don’t worry I carry an Epi-Pen! This will get better as time goes on and my mast cells stabilize, but I have had to learn how to communicate my needs more clearly to my partner and friends/family! I often plan ahead by looking at the menu and address with the waitress, as well. You are your best advocate! Enjoying a glass of wine is something I do miss, but I am getting very good at making fun mocktails to keep things interesting – no more hangovers for this girl! I make an effort to share with others to encourage creativity amongst my people too.

Due to my sensitivity to mold and mycotoxins, I need to be very careful where I spend my time indoors. This was pivotal on my healing journey to find a low mold home. AND very stressful.  Let me tell ya, it was not easy to find a safe home with low mold in the Midwest (humidity is crazy here!), but it’s possible! Through a mold detox protocol with my doctor and nervous system regulation work with Primal Trust, I am becoming less and less sensitive. As for how I manage travel, I do my best to avoid older buildings or opt for outdoor activities like hiking or picnics and if I notice symptoms pop up, I simply communicate my needs and leave. If I can not leave, then I lean on my coping strategies to feel safe and remain calm. Trust me, I am still navigating this, but also learning to live in the moment and not try to control every little aspect of life. Going with the flow of life is a work in progress!

4. Set Social Goals Each Month

This may sound silly, but I often would set goals for myself on being social each month. I would tell myself, I will plan 2 gathering this month and really prepare to feel my best and energize for it! This works for phone calls as well, just to engage with friends and family! I also set goals to find other interests outside of the anything health related to help me keep my sanity. I know others can relate because it’s hard to think outside of our illnesses and not obsess over every little symptom. It was really freeing to refocus my energy at times and enjoy the little, yet big things, in life that bring me joy! This leads me to my next tip….

5. Get a Dog (you knew this was coming, right?)

Lola really helped me break out of my shell and get outside to meet more with people on our daily walks! It really did get me outside my comfort zone. While we had to work hard with training initially, she now loves the belly rubs from fellow dog lovers on our walks. She really helps opens up the door to many conversations with my neighbors, which I appreciate. Interesting that as I worked on socilaizing her with new people and different environments, I was also socializing myself! Funny how that worked out, right?

Final Thoughts

Socializing when you are navigating a chronic illness is incredibly challenging mentally and physically. So remember to prioritize yourself when you can, nurture your relationships with a strong support system, always plan ahead, set social goals each month and of course rescue a dog to get you outside of your comfort zone!  Surrounding yourself with supportive people and avoiding social isolation with these tips can help support you on your healing journey. I know it has for me. I am finally living life, but honoring my body’s needs day to day! 

Remember, be kind to yourself, you are doing the best you can.

 

XOXO, Amy and Lola girl 

 

This blog is for informational purposes only to share my healing story and offer hope for a better tomorrow and not give up on yourself. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. Please work with your healthcare professional before starting any treatment plan for your safety.

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]]> 2210 6 Cost-Effective Mental Stimulation Tips for Dogs https://healingwithlolaandme.com/5-cost-effective-mental-stimulation-tips-for-dogs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-cost-effective-mental-stimulation-tips-for-dogs Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:36:19 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=1900 Not only do dogs need physical activity for stimulation, but also mental as well. Over the years, I have learned to get a little creative with keeping my girl stimulated with her mind. Check out some tips!

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When people think about caring for a dog, they often think of the dog’s physical needs – such as physical exercise, food, training and grooming. Their need for mental stimulation is often overlooked. I learned VERY quickly that Lola needed much more than our 10k steps daily! Australian Shepards and Border Collies have active minds and are super smart, so I needed to figure out ways to give her brain a workout as well. She is naturally high energy and anxious, so I do my best daily to help her burn that energy physically, while giving her mental stimulation!

Key Takeaways

    1. Why Mental Stimulation is so important for Aussies
    2. Signs your dog is bored
    3. 6 Creative Cost effective tips to stimulate your dog’s mind

Why is Mental Stimulation Important for Australian Shepherd/Border Collie dog breeds?

While all dogs need some level of mental stimulation, my girl Lola is an Australian Shepherd/BorderCollie, so it is just as important as physical exercise. Oddly enough, I find it actually makes her MORE tired then coming home from an hour long hike! Many destructive behaviors in dogs can be resolved by implementing daily enrichment activities that challenge their minds.

Benefits include:

  • Improving mental healing and cognitive function
  • Release stress
  • Build confidence
  • Decrease hyperactivity (heck yes!)
  • Tucker a dog out
  • Strengthen your bond with your dog

Signs Your Dog is Bored and NEEDS Mental Stimulation

Aussies and Border Collies are known to be herding breeds that are happiest when they have a “job”. If not given a job, then they will find one that you may not like so much! Lola took it upon herself to protect me as her job on our walks early on in our training journey, so this is something we still navigate today. When I notice Lola “herding” me on our walks, I stop to practice some obedience tricks for treats to distract her a bit. If I do not keep her brain occupied even on walks, she tends to bark or chase anything that moves – I welcome winter when the squirrels to hibernate! 

Signs your dog is bored and needs some brain stimulation:

  • Destructive behavior – chewing up pillow, clothes, etc. while you are gone
  • Digging holes in yard
  • Persistently begging for attention (I gotta say no amount of mental stimulation helps with the attention seeking Aussies, but I love her for it!)
  • Excessive licking or pacing or barking

5 Creative Cost Effective Tips to Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind

There are countless ways to offer your dog stimulation for their brain and keep them happy, while not breaking the bank. It takes some troubleshooting to see what is fun for your dog, but its worth it in the end.

  1. Play Hide & Seek. 

    Lola and I love playing this since we have moved into a two level home and there are more places to hide. I tell her to sit and stay, then once I hide out of sight, I call her to come. This game offers critical thinking, as well as using her sniffer!

  2. Sniff It Out Game

    If I am leaving the house, I like to hide her favorite ball with a treat in it, as well as sprinkling homemade treats around the house for her to sniff out while I am away. It works like a charm! Or I put some treats in a Snuffle Mat – this is the one we have! 

    Or on the contrary, I set aside time to allow Lola to explore and sniff all the smells on our walks. I find a grassing area for her to sniff for treats too.

    I learned this trick with the Spirit Dog training! As one of the 5 senses, sniffing has been shown to not only decrease a dog’s heart rate, but increase the dopamine, the happy brain chemical!

  3. Change up your walking routine

    Just like us, dogs can get bored of doing the same things over and over again. Changing up your walking route can stimulate them as it offers new smells and people to meet!

  4. Dog Sports – Agility training or dock diving!

    Just like humans, sports build confidence and critical thinking! The world of agility is fascinating to me and we are starting to dip our toes in the water with an at home agility set to start. Lola is really loving it and after 15 minutes, she is tuckered out! She looks forward to it after dinnertime.

    Oh and while Lola girl is not a water girl, lots of dogs love dock diving! Eventually, I will get her out on the Stand Up Paddle board (SUP), which will be our happy medium. 

  5. Puzzles Or Interactive Toys

    Until Lola came into my life, I thought all a dog needed was a ball or a rope for tug of war! The amount of puzzles and interactive toys available for dogs in the market today is astonishing! They all vary in complexity. Hiding treats or kibble in the compartments, for the pup to sniff out and figure out how to access is genius.

    When I rescued Lola, she never wanted to play ball. I found a small nerf ball that I could sneak a treat in and it keeps her occupied for at least 30 minutes trying to get it out. Bonus, she plays catch now (only with a treat in it tho!) Little stinker.

  6. Homemade Enrichment Treats

    Lick pads and Kong’s filled with something yummy to eat are the best invention, just make sure not to overdo it though to avoid over feeding. Because Lola is a picky eater, I found soaking her kibble in chicken broth and smothering it on her lick pad with a pit of yogurt and peanut butter did the trick and keeps her occupied for awhile! This is our favorite lick pad. 

Final Thoughts

I don’t think we would be here today on our training journey, if we didn’t tap into mental stimulation activities for Lola! Spirit Dog helped open my eyes to different ideas and I have gotten creative since then to adjust to Lola’s wants and needs! 

When I first rescued Lola she used to bark and chase all things that moved fast – bikes, cars, runners and even kids! It was rough…but now she calmly sits down and looks at me for a treat when they pass on by. We are to the point where she doesn’t even stop sometimes, but just ignores and keeps going. I contribute this to consistent training, but also enrichment activities that stimulate her mind as well to focus better! 

Getting creative and finding interesting ways to entertain Lola has been healing for me and has given me more confidence in being a dog owner. I feel unstoppable!

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]]> 1900 How Dogs Can Help Manage Chronic Pain https://healingwithlolaandme.com/how-dogs-can-help-manage-chronic-pain/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-dogs-can-help-manage-chronic-pain Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:57:35 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=1867 Furry friends are much more than just day to day companions. New Research shows that they are a great tool to cope with pain and function better with chronic pain. When I rescued Lola, I was in a dark place emotionally and physically. I was in need of a reason to get out of bed […]

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Furry friends are much more than just day to day companions. New Research shows that they are a great tool to cope with pain and function better with chronic pain. When I rescued Lola, I was in a dark place emotionally and physically. I was in need of a reason to get out of bed and improve my quality of life! 

5 reasons pet therapy is a great tool to manage chronic pain:

  • Relaxation
  • Distration
  • Physical Activity
  • Socialize and Maintain Quality of life
  • Improved Mood

Relaxation

Nothing is better than cuddles on the couch with Lola. Nothing. Good or bad day, this always makes me feel better and encourages me to slow down my mind and body. It is thought that pets seem to sense when their owner is in pain or feeling stress, so they tend to stay close by to monitor the situation! Australian Shepards are VERY sensitive to their owners feelings and anxiety, so this keeps me in check to manage my emotional health for hers as well!

Distraction

Pets bring joy and laughter to most situations! Thinking about your pet’s basic needs – like taking them out for walks, potty breaks and feeding them or training them, can be a nice distraction for those with chronic pain to not focus to much on the pain. I know when I woke up with terrible neck and back pain the last thing, I wanted to do was get up and go for a walk, but I am SO grateful I did looking back.

Physical Activity

This brings me to physical activity! Different breeds have different activity levels, but owning an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix keeps me active physically to keep up with her! Also, mental stimulation is needed, so I had to learn how to get creative in that department – more that in another blog 5 Cost Effective Mental Stimulation Tips For Dogs!

Moving your body and being out in nature is great to alleviate pain and your furry friend is just the ticket to do just that. Dogs LIVE for their walks.

Socialize and Maintain Quality of Life

Because we moved so much and I work remote, this left very little opportunities to build “community” in order to maintain a quality of life. Getting Lola has helped me get out and socialize more on my walks and even during our behavioral challenges, I used this as an opportunity to reach out and network with other dog owners for advice and help socializing Lola.

Improved Mood

Pets increase positive feelings and associate with less pain overall! Coming home to a smiley dog is the best feeling in the world. They just want to be loved and ou to be happy as well.

Truly my happy place is with Lola and she makes anywhere home for us! It has done wonders for my emotional health. 

 Not only does pet therapy aid in chronic pain management, but also your immune system. This study, proves the positive effect of petting a dog on ones immune system function. Another study, I found proves how pet therapy can improve behaviors of older adults with dementia.

On the contrary, owning a pet CAN be stressful at times! I don’t want to paint a picture of unicorns and rainbows all the time. But in my opinion, the good out ways the challenging times in the long-term for your healing and personal growth.  

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, everyone is different in how they want to manage their pain. Lola has succeeded in promoting relaxation, yet physical activity and socialization for us both. Oh and also so much joy and cuddles on even my darkest days! 

If you are here, hopefully you are a likely dog lover like myself and see the beauty in all the snuggles, and smiles a dog brings to your life. 

After all, this is the blog where hearts heal and tails wag!

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