Simply ‘paw-some’

People living in Queen’s Lodge Nursing Home thought their first-ever dog show was simply ‘paw-some’.

To mark National Dog Day in August, we held a show featuring different breeds of dog brought in by staff and relatives.

Residents got the opportunity to meet the dogs before judging the best in show.

In this case, they couldn’t decide between Bear the Husky and Lola the Cavapoo, so the prize of ‘top dog’ was shared jointly between the dogs and owners.

And after the show, residents and their families enjoyed a doggy inspired tea, including a fruit and cheese platter and doggy-shaped biscuits and cakes. The dogs also received their own treats for taking part.

The idea for the dog show came from Queen’s Lodge Activity Coordinator Barbara Winstanley.

She said: “We are always looking to introduce new and stimulating activities for our residents and with National Dog Day approaching, having a dog show seemed perfect timing.

“Many of our residents will have owned dogs before they came to Queen’s Lodge or have family members who bring in dogs when they visit, so this was a great way of rekindling memories for them.

“Our ladies and gentlemen loved meeting the dogs and spending some fun time with their families and staff and based on the success, we are definitely going to be making the dog show an annual event.”

Pet therapy is a popular and effective form of therapy that has been used in care homes for many years. Canine-assisted therapy in particular has been proven lower blood pressure and enhance general cardiovascular health, but can also release endorphins that in turn produce a soothing effect.

Alzheimers.net, an online community which supports people affected by Alzheimer’s, said about animal therapy: “While companionship is an obvious benefit, a well-timed pet visit may also help with anxiety and depression. It’s not uncommon to watch someone transition from emotionless to joyful when an animal enters the room, especially if it triggers pleasant memories.”