#human-animal-bond

#human-animal-bond

I recently came across a discussion on social media about how people refer to pets and what this says about their ability to respect the animal's needs. The discussion shifted to how people define themselves in their relationship with their pets, and it became quite heated. While some saw no problem with using the term pet parent, others considered it problematic for imposing a human framework onto the animal.

Horses are deeply emotional beings and have been shown to be able to help adults and children heal from a variety of psychological and physical conditions. 1 For this and other reasons, I was very pleased to learn of a new collection of essays compiled by Colorado State University Professor of Clinical Studies Dr. Lori Kogan in a book titled Equine-Assisted Services: Studies Illustrating the Potential Benefits for Children, Adolescents and Adults.

Melissa Milanak, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, noted that while pets can be comforting, many pet owners report sleep disturbances caused by their animals, revealing a complex relationship between pet companionship and sleep quality.

"Some [dogs] react like that, some of them couldn't care less. In the real test, the person does this three times, and we had a couple of dogs actually take the hammer away."