Happy the Dog: Spreading Happiness Wherever She Goes

“Happy the dog spreads happiness and lowers the stress of children who have been victims of violence”

The headline takes us to Mexico, to the Superior Court of Justice in Chihuahua City. This is where you can find children who have been victims of family violence.

The specialized personnel in these cases (psychologists and social workers) have a rather different sort of assistant: Happy the dog. She has the special gift of being able to calm down the children who have gone through such traumatic situations.

Happy the dog is used to determine whether the children are in good enough psychological condition to be able to express their feelings or make decisions as they appear before the judicial authorities. It’s worth mentioning that, in custody trials, children from a certain age can already give their opinion and even choose the parent whose tutelage they want to be under.

Happy the dog is great at relieving the anxiety, discomfort, and sadness of children during that time. Through games, petting, and contact with the animal, a child can voice an opinion which reflects what they really think, and help the judge to

reach a decision.

Golden Retriever, natural therapist

All dogs are beautiful and help us to forget our pain and lessen our suffering. However, it’s confirmed that the best breed for therapy is the Golden Retriever. It’s a family dog par excellence, very affectionate, docile and intelligent.

Because Retrievers learn faster than most other dogs, they facilitate things greatly for disabled people. They also make excellent guide dogs for blind people. Not to mention how they help paraplegic people, people with Down’s Syndrome, and psychiatric patients.

Thanks to their love and tenderness they’re also ideal for children with autism and Kanner’s Syndrome, and for the elderly. The link that a Golden Retriever forges with his owner is extraordinary.

This breed represents all the most beautiful qualities: solidarity, nobility, patience and tolerance. Nobody goes unnoticed in the presence of a Golden Retriever, who is friendly, docile and relates so well to children.

Happy, the dog that calms down children

Retrievers were particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where an English lord acquired a pair, bred them, and trained them.

The first time the name of this breed appeared was in 1903, but it wasn’t until 1911 that the name “golden” appears –as per its golden yellow hair. Their hair is abundant and requires daily brushing, but they love all the pampering too!

If you’ve ever known a Golden Retriever you’ll know what we mean. And if you plan to adopt one someday, it will make a great addition to your family.