Frenchie Therapy
Benefits of owning a Frenchie from Bobcat Frenchies
Frenchies and Mental-Emotional Health
The companionship that a Frenchie from Bobcat Frenchies offers is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. A Frenchie can be a great source of comfort, companionship, and motivation for their owners. In many ways, a Frenchie can help their owner live mentally and emotionally healthier lives.
A Frenchies calming effect on their owner has been shown to help people manage stress. For example, some research suggests that people with dog’s experience less cardiovascular reactivity during times of stress. That means that their heart rate and blood pressure go up less and return to normal more quickly, dampening the effects of stress on the body.
Frenchies and Physical Health
Although Frenchies are thought to be less high maintenance than some breeds when it comes to exercise, they love to keep busy and exercising is a huge part of promoting their health along with their owner's. Frenchies need up to an hour of exercise every day. This exercise can be split into a few shorter walks throughout the day. Frenchies and their owners benefit from time to play off-leash, in a secure area. Off-leash play allows Frenchies to express their acrobatic and enjoyable personality. On top of this, Frenchie’s and their owners can stay active with training and fun games.
Frenchies and Socializing
Walking your Frenchie often leads to conversations with other dog owners or bystanders, this helps owners to stay socially connected and less isolated and withdrawn. There are also Frenchie meet-ups that owners can attend such as ones sponsored by local fanciers, the AKC and ABKC. People who have more social relationships and friendships tend to be mentally and emotionally healthier.
Frenchies and Reduced Heart Disease
Several studies have shown that Frenchie owners have lower blood pressure than non-owners. The positive health effects are likely because their Frenchie has a calming effect on them and because Frenchie owners tend to get more exercise by playing and walking their pet. Several studies show that blood pressure goes down when a person pets and caresses a dog.
Owning a Frenchie is correlated with lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. A large study focusing on this question found that dog owners had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than non-dog owners, and that these differences were not explainable by individual diet, smoking, or body mass index.
Frenchies and Depression
Dogs are great motivators for people. Frenchies especially are great at encouraging owners to get exercise, and this can be beneficial for those suffering from depression. The good disposition of Frenchies can also have calming effects on their owner. Just by stroking, sitting next to or playing a Frenchie gives the owner a chance to relax and calm their minds. Caring for a Frenchie also gives your day purpose and reward, and a sense of achievement. It also helps one feel valuable and needed; by knowing that your Frenchie needs your care and attention.
Frenchies and Loneliness
A Frenchie is great companion. They give owners company, a sense of security and someone to share the routine of the day with a little spark. A Frenchie can be especially valuable company for those living alone, as they provide entertaining and affectionate companionship. Frenchies do not require much living space and can fit perfectly in an apartment or condo.
Frenchies and Autism
Sensory issues are common among people with autism. Sensory integration activities are designed to help people with Autism get used to the way something feels against their skin or how it smells or sounds. Frenchies are the perfect breed for this purpose as they possess a calm and affectionate behavior towards their owner. It has been noted that in the case of people with autism, a pet Frenchie can reduce stereotyped behavior, lessen sensory sensitivity, and increase the desire and ability to connect socially with others.
Frenchies and Children with ADHD
Children with ADHD can benefit from working with and keeping a Frenchie. Taking charge of the jobs related to pet care, such as feeding, walking, cleaning after and bathing, helps a child learn to plan and be responsible. Frenchies are curious and playful. Playing with a Frenchie is a great way to release excess energy. Children can burn off energy walking or running around with their Frenchie, making them more relaxed later in the day and calmer at night. Fresh air and good circulation from aerobic exercise increases oxygen-filled blood flow to a child's brain, therefore increasing their ability to concentrate.
Children with ADHD are used to their parents trying to calm them down or reprimanding them. A Frenchie is a great listener and offers unconditional love and will not criticize a child for having too much energy. This can aid a child's esteem and self-confidence.
Frenchies and Stroke or Cerebral Palsy
People suffering from a Stroke or Cerebral Palsy can benefit from owning a Frenchie. Key symptoms of a Stroke or Cerebral Palsy are loss of unilateral motor movement such as an arm and leg. Performing actions such as caressing or feeding a Frenchie with the affected extremity can help provide therapy and gradual motor learning and function.
Frenchies and the Elderly
Elderly individuals experiencing typical life stresses can be comforted by a companion Frenchie. It is thought that a dog can be a stress buffer that softens the effects of adverse events on a person. With a Frenchie in the home, elderly people with Dementia have been found to have fewer anxious outbursts and prolonged cognitive function. Animal assisted therapy with a Frenchie is a promising option for the treatment of agitation/aggression and depression in patients with dementia. Owning a Frenchie may also delay progression of neuropsychiatric symptoms in demented individuals, by stimulating cognition through interacting with their Frenchie.
Frenchies and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Studies have revealed significant differences with medium to large effect sizes, in people with service dogs such as Frenchies, in contrast to those on the therapy waitlist. Positive effects of owning a Frenchie, include lower depression, higher quality of life, and higher social functioning among individuals affected by PTSD. Owning a Frenchie can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD due to the affection and interaction that a Frenchie offers to their owner.