The Benefits of Keeping a Four-Legged Friend Around During Home Isolation

on April 17, 2020 at 3:25 PM /

The first couple of weeks of my city’s stay-at-home order were rough. I’m single with no kids, so my apartment was quieter than I could have ever imagined while working from home. It got so bad that I started feeling stressed and anxious from being cooped up all day. During a call with my sister, she suggested adopting a dog. She owns one, or actually tells me that her dog owns her, and says that there’s never a dull moment in her home. I went to my local animal shelter and came home with the cutest dog! Eloise is small,...

Knowing the Differences Between Service, Emotional Support, and Therapy Animals

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 26, 2019 at 9:44 AM /

Therapy Dogs

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Last week at the grocery store, Brad and I saw an adorable dog and I immediately wanted to pet it. Its handler, however, told us that the pup was his “service dog” and could not be distracted. The following day at the park, we saw an “emotional support dog,” according to her owner. And now my sister, Nathalie, who is in the hospital, tells me that a “therapy dog” has been brought by to provide her with some company. How exactly do these types of dogs differ from each other? Have...

The Human-Animal Bond: How Owning a Pet Can Help Your Child’s Bond with Others

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 19, 2019 at 11:40 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Our youngest son, Sean, has always been a bit of an introvert. He has a few friends at school but doesn’t really socialize anywhere else. My husband and I read online about how pets can help people come out of their shells and be more expressive. We took a chance and got Sean a dachshund for his ninth birthday. He instantly fell in love and now walks Hot Dog (his name choice, of course) almost every day. They both get so much attention at the dog park, and Sean loves...

Our Canine Office Companions: Get to Know Milo, Abbey and Gigi!

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 15, 2017 at 9:51 PM /

Meet the therapy dogs of Rice Psychology Group! These amazing friends come to work with Dr. Rice, Dr. Schwait and Dr. DeGeso-Jones and contribute so much to the practice. Each with their own personality, they participate in therapy when needed and otherwise do an amazing job of brightening our days with their presence in the office. With child and adolescent clients, our therapy dogs can help ease pain and fear, help with self-control and following directions, get involved in aspects of play therapy and, most importantly, offer acceptance and unconditional love. And, not surprisingly, they are equally helpful with adults...

Remembering Lily

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 26, 2015 at 11:17 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Have you heard of the “Rainbow Bridge?” It is the place that our beloved pets supposedly go after they die. Three weeks ago, on a Friday night in the park across from the vet’s office, was my Lily’s turn. It was a chilly evening but Lily was all snuggled in my arms wearing her cozy fleece-lined plaid jacket and was surrounded by loved ones. We drank a toast to Lily and wished her endless romps in green fields with an unlimited supply of toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes and popcorn to eat. She was almost 14 years...