On Resilience
To understand more about resilience, including resilience related to medical trauma, and how to develop it in children, check out the following links:
- Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child
- RaisingChildren.net.au
- TIME Magazine Newsletter
- PositivePsychology.com
- American Red Cross
- American Psychological Association
- Looking for other childrens’ books about resilience? Click for a list
- Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC)
- Community Resilience Cookbook
Resilience FAQs
Resilience is the ability to overcome challenges. People with resilience don’t ignore or deny challenges, they address them with many different techniques.
Researchers have found that people—children in particular—who have the following conditions in their lives tend to develop resilience:
• Having a supportive, safe relationship with at least one adult
• Being able to recognize, reflect, and react in a controlled way to one’s feelings
• Knowing how and when to ask for help
• Recognizing that learning is possible and includes making mistakes
• Accepting change
• Understanding that challenges, big and little, are part of life
• Maintaining hope
On Dog Adoption
Resources on dog adoption are plentiful.
The best way to find out what’s available near you is to do an internet search with your location. You are likely to find many organizations close by that can help you in the process of finding a new pet for your home. The Humane Society has branches in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Many local rescue agencies work with international partners, so even if you are particularly interested in international adoption you can start your search locally.
If you are interested in a specific breed, you will likely find a rescue agency devoted to just that type of dog. Sometimes these agencies have longer waiting lists for potential homes, but the wait can be worth it, if you are set on just one breed.
When adopting through a rescue agency you can anticipate having to fill out an application and some even require home visits before allowing you to take an animal. Rescue agencies are motivated to ensure a good fit between pet and owner to avoid having animals returned.
It can take several weeks for a new pet and its owner to become fully comfortable with each other. Anticipate that there will be some challenges. Reach out to the rescue agencies and trainers to help make the transition as easy as possible. Patience is one of the most important resources needed for the successful rehoming of an animal. And a steady supply of treats doesn’t hurt either.
Dog Adoption FAQs
There are many advantages to adopting a dog. Due to high demand for shelter space, many shelters kill animals who have been housed with them for too long. Adopting prevents an animal from being put down, frees up space for another animal, and is typically less expensive than buying from a breeder.
Because rescue agencies want to ensure a good match between dog and new owner, the process can take some time. This can feel frustrating when you have fallen in love with a dog and want to bring it into your home. Remember that dog adoption means you will have the new family member for many years, so it will be worth the wait.
On Special
Needs Dogs
ALL dogs deserve Love.
“Special Needs Dog” is a broad term. It usually means that something about the dog’s body doesn’t work the same way as most dogs. Maybe the dog only has three legs. Or maybe the dog is deaf or blind. Some dogs are born with special needs, and some develop needs as they age or as a result of an accident or illness. The care for such a dog should be adapted to meet their needs, but for the most part a special needs pet can do many, if not all, the things any dog can do. These animals can make wonderful companions and blend into many home situations.
Sometimes, pet owners are not able to accommodate the needs of their dogs, and these animals end up being surrendered to shelters or rescue agencies. When looking to adopt a dog, don’t dismiss one just because it may have special needs. Learn what accommodating the needs might include. In many cases, all that’s required is a little extra training or a specific diet. If you are in a position to take on the extra responsibility, you will probably find a particularly loving pet to enrich your life.
In Randy’s case, he became a special needs dog when he lost his eyesight. Since dogs rely on their senses of smelling and hearing more than people do, blind dogs can navigate the world better than most people think. Randy’s sight regressed over several months, so we were able to do some training while he was sighted that would make his life easier when he became blind. Being blind has slowed down Randy only the tiniest bit. We often encounter people who express pity for Randy, but we tell them, “Don’t worry about Randy. He’s living his best life!”
Special Needs Dogs FAQs
Yes! But it depends on what the needs the animal has, what the accommodations are and how well the owner can handle the accommodations. Not every dog fits every home, but that doesn’t mean the dog can’t fit in somewhere.
Dogs rely on sight less than humans do, so can manage the world quite well even when they are blind. Many dogs lose their vision as they age and sometimes their owners don’t even realize their dog has become blind. Dogs can “see” the world by using their sense of hearing and smell.