BENGALURU:A session of Human Dog Interaction Programme was recently organised for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of Sakra World Hospital. These trained dogs were brought in to drive teamwork and conversations on empathy and self care in the medical profession. Former HR professional Rajeshwari R organises these interactions across institutions and schools.
This was the first time such a programme with dogs was held in a hospital as they are not allowed in the premises otherwise because of the infection-control measures. Krithika Lakshmy R, Speech and Language Therapist, says that though the hospital organises team-bonding exercises, this was the first time that dogs were used. “It was organised outdoors. It was a nice experience,” she says. “There were activities designed for team bonding. We were split into two teams and assigned a dog. We had to build rapport with the dogs and make them respond to our commands. So, when a member was unable to make the dog listen to them, others were helping out.”
The teams also formed tunnels for the dogs to run through their legs and that helped a few people overcome their fear of dogs, says Krithika. Akanksha Sharma, a physiotherapist at the hospital, adds that she was scared of dogs after she was bitten by a stray a decade ago. “I used to walk away if I saw any dog approaching me,” says Akansha. “Before the session, my husband and I had visited a dental clinic but had to delay the appointment by an hour as there were two dogs sleeping in front of the clinic.” She now plans to get a dog home. “Now, I am not afraid of dogs, not even strays, because I learned how to deal with them. At the session, I wasn’t able to do anything for about an hour. But later, I spent about 45 minutes with the dogs.”
Lessons to read dogs
The Human Dog Interaction Programme was started by Rajeshwari R, a dog trainer, two years ago with an intent to educate people that not all dogs bite and how to read dogs. She says, “The main aim of this project is to cultivate compassion and empathy towards dogs. And as Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, I can be compassionate towards you, only if I first understand you.”
The activities of the programme vary with the age group. For adults, she hosts programmes at corporate offices which range from awareness sessions to destress programmes for employees with dogs and activities to drive specific themes such as collaboration, communication, trust and empathy.
She says, “Through these experiential learning programmes, we achieve a corporate agenda and in the process get people to be comfortable with dogs and appreciate how we can co-exist with them. The dogs used in this programme are my dogs - Calvin, Hobbes and Susie. We also involve other trained dogs as and when required.”
Helping kids overcome fear
The flagship programme is “Kids and Dogs,” which is aimed at helping children overcome their fear of dogs and also help them nurture their capacity for kindness towards animals. These programmes are run in schools, communities, corporates and hobby centres.
She says, “The first target audience is children. If they have to be compassionate beings, they should start young.”
A 10-year-old Rhea Kohli has pledged to be an animal-friendly person for life after attending the programme.
She was initially scared of dogs and would turn away from them when they neared her but now she pets all the dogs she sees on her way.
“I learned how dogs react to certain things. I got to know their side of the story. I learned that you need to be comfortable first to be friends with them,” says Rhea.
In the Kids and Dogs Programme, Rajeshwari shows videos to them to teach how to be safe around dogs and the professions they can pursue related to animals.
A 9th grader Samiksha Shah attended a session at Cessna Hospital. She says, “We realised that it is not a bed of roses to be a vet but if you love dogs, you will never get tired. We were taught how hydro- and physio-therapies work, their massages, basic dieases they get and how to handle them.”
Rajeshwari was an HR professional. She quit her job in 2015 and took up dog training from Shirin Merchant to understand her two pet dogs better.
“Then Cessna veterinary hospital approached me to train the dogs. During this venture, I realised that there is a huge gap in people understanding the dogs. Hence, I quit my job and decided to start this programme. With this programme, if I am able to change the negative attitude of at least 5 people in a team to a neutral or positive attitude, it will bring a huge difference,” she says.
Tips on Reading a Dog
Dogs licking their nose or mouth continuously indicate it is stressed.
If it’s wagging its tail, it does not necessarily mean it is happy. If the tail is parallel to the ground and wags fast, that’s when it means it is happy. If its tail is between its legs, it means it is scared.
If it looks away when you approach it, it means it is not comfortable.