Working With Assistance Dogs

Today I’m writing about an online article I found at assistancedogsinternational.org. The title of this article is “Working With Assistance Dogs” and was written and published by Assistance Dogs International.

The first paragraph explains that those interested in training service dogs also have to train the people to use them, which is the toughest part. To become a service dog trainer one must enroll in a program that usually last two to three years. To get a job as a service trainer is very tough. There are a ton of people that would love to have this specific job, and many of those who wish to become a trainer cannot do so. There are positions available at most places that include shoveling snow, picking up poop, and other services that are needed in the process of training a service dog. An individual that hopes to one day become a service dog trainer often starts at this low level position and works his or her way up. Many of the people who want to become service dog trainers do so because of their love for dogs. While this is a good reason to do this, the individual must also be good with people. The dogs are their to help people who need it and if the trainer is unable to teach or communicate with the individual in need, it won/t work out. Trainers have to deal with harsh and rude individuals, but also nice ones. Specific programs have qualities that they look for when trying to hire a service dog trainer. They look for people who are good with dogs, people who are enthusiastic about their work, and people who that want to help others.

This article taught me a lot about what it takes to become a service dog trainer. It is a long road to become a trainer. Starting with cleaning up and caring for the dogs, to the 3 year program one must graduate from shows that this is no short road. Those interested in becoming a service dog trainer must have patience and the drive to help others. There are a few concerns/questions that came up when I was reading this. How many different organizations are there like this in the country? What are the requirements for starting your own service dog organization? These questions may or may not help further my research, but they will give me a better understanding of the overall process of service dogs and the training needed. 


Link to Article

Training Assistance Dogs

I found an online article at cci.org. The article is titled “Training assistance dogs” and was written and published by a member or director of cci.org.

This article tells us how service dogs are trained and prepared to be used by those who need them. The first step of raising a service dog is to go through the puppy raisers. These people raise the puppies and teach them basic skills like sitting, laying down, and overall obedience.  Once this stage of the training is completed, the dogs are sent to Canine Companions where they undergo a six-nine month training course. The first few weeks are the easiest for the dogs. They undergo a few tests and x-rays to make sure they are in good health. The first three months the dogs are reintroduced to the basic obedience commands they learned from their puppy raisers. The Canine Companions then build off of these basic obedience commands. The puppies who are able to pass their first part of training then get to move onto the second part. The second part of the training lasts close to three months. During these three months the dogs are taught over forty different commands. The dogs are screened to see if they are really capable of being service dogs and those dogs who are capable of being service dogs are then paired with the recipient and they are both trained together. This session last two weeks and the dog and companion are taught proper care. Once this is completed the dogs graduate into service dogs and receive their official Canine Companion certificate. The service dogs always have follow up sessions to make sure that they are performing to what they are expected to. The Canine Companions also want to make sure that the owner is satisfied and that the dog is not being harmed.

This article was very interesting. I understood that the dogs went through extensive training, but I had no clue that it took upwards of 8 months. The Puppy trainers are just like what the Wildcat service dogs are here. A program that trains puppies to have basic obedience skills and such. What happens if the dogs aren’t fit for being service dogs? Are they giving up for adoption, or are they put into a shelter? To help further my research I can look more into detail at what exactly a puppy trainer does and how they go about doing it. 


Link to Article

Pets for Depression and Health

The article I chose to write about is titled “Pets for Depression and Health” and can be found on webmd.com. It was written by Kathleen Doheny and reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD. The article was published by WebMD.

The article explains how pets can help people with depression, and how pets may not be good for some with depression. The research that I will use is how pets can help people with depression. Studies have shown that pets can help improve one’s mood and can help some people with mild or moderate depression. Pets give you a sense of uncomplicated love and companionship. Depression can isolate you from many people, but if you have a pet you’re never alone. Having physical contact with animals can really help people feel better about themselves. People with depression often have a rough time of taking care of themselves, so naturally having to take on more responsibility doesn’t sound like a good thing. This can be the case for some, but for many others it can be the opposite. Adding a little responsibility by taking care of a pet can help add a little positive focus to your life. Knowing that a pet depends on you for basic needs and knowing that you can give those needs to them makes many people feel much better. Like I said earlier, owning a pet doesn’t always help people with their depression. There are four main questions to decide whether or not owning a pet is good for you and your depression. “Are you comfortable with animals?”, “Will having a pet make you worry?”, “Is your depression too intense right now?”, and “Can you afford a pet”. Having a negative answer to any of these questions is a good sign that you should not be owning an animal at this time.

I really enjoyed reading about the positive ways animals can help those with depression. I found it interesting that adding a little more responsibility to your life, like taking care of a pet, can really help with one’s depression and that a little responsibility can be beneficial. I would like to know more about the studies they do to get this information. What kind studies are they and how do they go about doing these studies? If I wanted to find the answer to these questions I could look up different case studies by different psychologists that help people with depression.


Link to Article

Reflection of Shark Tank Presentation and Written Proposal

The writing process I had for my formal proposal was a little of what I had learned this year and a little of my previous knowledge. I had tried to use the process of asking questions while I was writing and researching my topic. I wanted to use this process because I had seen the success that other writers have had while using this method. It was harder than I thought it would be and it will take a lot of practice to get used to. The way I turned my formal proposal into a shark tank presentation was that I took the three main points I had and explained them. I went on to explain the involvement side, the social side, and the mental side of intramural sports and physical activity. I wanted to inform my peers on these three very beneficial aspects to intramural sports. I think my strengths in both my presentation and written portion of the project were in the way I explained the benefits. I thought I did a good job in the way I presented the information in both the presentation and the written part. I believe I answered the questions at the end of my presentation with great detail. I was able to tell my peers where I got my information and how that information affects us as students. The weaknesses I had were very noticeable. I got stuck up on a few words here and there, but I believe that comes with practice in front of a group of people. With the written portion I think I could’ve done a better job with the organization. I had a few overlapping themes with the involvement and social aspect of the written part and pitch. I think I could’ve prevented this by finding more information.

Making Friends Through Sports

I have decided to further my research of Intramural sports. The article I’m writing about is “Making Friends Through Sports” and is found at friendship.about.com. The article was written by Cherie Burbach.

The article starts off by telling a few reasons why sports teams are a great place to meet and connect to new people. One good reason is that sports help create friendships because you have to trust your teammates. Your teammates have your back on the field and can carry over in your everyday lives. Joining a sports team automatically connects you with your teammates because you share a point of interest in that certain point. Sports provide a very beneficial social boost to those who have a hard time creating friends. Being a new student can be really tough, but Cherie says that joining a sports team can provide that immediate sense of belonging that many new students don’t experience for awhile. The article then goes on to talk about sports for adults, but because of my research only focusing on young adults and college intramurals, I’ll leave that section for you to read about if you wish.

The article does a pretty good job of telling how easy it is to make friends within sports and how you can create a trust with these friends. I like how the article has different examples of how friends are made through sports. I want to know how it is that sports help students who aren't very social to make friends. Is the lone factor that you’re on the team enough, or is there more to it? To further my research on this topic I could interview people who play intramural sports and ask them what kind of relationships they have with their teammates.


Link to Article

Commonwealth Stadium

I decided to do a little research on Commonwealth Stadium here on Campus. The article I’m using is found at www.ukathletics.com and is run by the UK athletic department.

The article starts by giving information about the recent updates the stadium has had in the past few years. In 2005 a new grass playing surface was installed and in 1999 the end zones were enclosed which added 40 suites. This renovation increased the total capacity of the stadium from 55,453 seats to 67,606 seats. The article then goes into detail talking about the fans, the football team, and their winning record during their time at Commonwealth Stadium: 107 wins, 95 losses, and 4 ties. Over 12 million people have watched and cheered on the University of Kentucky during the Commonwealth Stadium era and it keeps increasing.

The website does a great job on showing the impact that Commonwealth stadium has had on our football team and their success, as well as the amount of fans we’ve been able to draw in. What I don’t think the article does a good job with is describing the renovations. I was really interested in seeing how long the renovations took from start to finish, but it wasn't available in this article. I could do more research on the stadium and find out the exact dates if needed. I was also very curious on what the renovations that are happening now, but the article doesn't delve into that. What exactly is the University of Kentucky doing with Commonwealth Stadium? Are they increasing/decreasing the amount of seats, or are they just updating the facilities inside the stadium? The amount of information about Commonwealth Stadium online will allow me to expand on my research of it, and will allow me to answer these questions.


Link to Article

The History of Rupp Arena

I found an article online telling me a little about Rupp Arena and the history behind it. The location of the article is www.rupparena.com and was written by an employee who was not named.

The idea of having a civic center in Lexington was created in the 1920’s, but it wouldn't be put into effect until 1971 when the Lexington-Fayette County Recreational, Tourist, and Convention Commission was formed. The economic impact of Rupp arena was very large. It was predicted to produce $9.2 million in payrolls, creating jobs for many Lexington natives. The opening of the convention center was held in 1976. The convention center was named Rupp Arena after a former UK basketball coach, Adolph Rupp. Rupp arena provides seating for more than 23,000 guests. The arena is most known for UK basketball and the success they’ve had in their time there, winning 4 national titles. The first game the Wildcats played in Rupp was on November 27, 1976 against the Wisconsin Badgers, a game they later won 72-64. Rupp arena held the 1985 mens basketball final four for the first time in its history, as well as the men’s Southeastern Conference Tournament and the women's final four in 1986. The PNC/KHSAA high school boys basketball tournament is held at Rupp arena every year and draws close to 100,000 fans during the 4 day tournament. Although Rupp Arena is mostly known for the great basketball environment, it also has other activities that take place. Rupp has hosted many different events that include circuses, hockey games, concerts, and other family oriented activities.

I don’t think the people that had the idea of creating Rupp in 1971 would’ve thought it would be as successful as it is today. The article says that they had the idea of creating a convention center in the 1920’s but they didn't create it till almost 50 years later. Why is that? I’m not sure how I would go about finding this information out. I could do some research on the financial situation of Lexington in the 1920’s and beyond to see if that can help. Maybe the Great depression put a hold on this great idea.


Link to Article

Memorial Hall and It's History

I found an article online about the history of Memorial Hall at explorehistory.ky.gov. This article was written by Becky Riddle.

The article starts out explaining what the hall is and why it is called Memorial Hall. It was built in 1929 and was given the name Memorial Hall because it is a memorial for all Kentuckians that died during World War 1.  The building was given to the University of Kentucky by the class of 2002.  The building has a large fresco painting in the entrance that was created by Ann Rice O’Hanlon in 1934. The fresco was painted for a public works art project showing the different historical events in Kentucky’s past. The article then goes into detail about the life of Ann Rice O’Hanlon. Ann was born in Ashland, Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky where she majored in Art. After Ann finished her time in Lexington she moved to Georgetown and taught for one year. She moved to San Francisco, California where she continued her art education after her one year at Georgetown. The UK Senior Challenge Historical Marker Project was created in 1994 and allows the graduating class to leave a memorial to the university.

The article made me wonder why some buildings are named what they are. Do buildings with names like “Memorial” all deal with a certain war, or are they named after something else? How many buildings in the USA have the word “Memorial” in their name? This article has helped me realize that most buildings have a story behind them which really interests me.


Link to Article

Benefits of Exercise

I found an article online at greatist.com. The title of the article is “13 Unexpected Benefits of Exercise” written by Sophia Breene.

This article shows a few ways on how exercise can help people not only physically, but mentally. Stress relief is one of the largest benefits one receives when an individual exercises. People with anxiety can be calmed down with a simple workout.  Alzheimers can be slowed down or prevented by eating healthy and exercising. Different studies on mice and men have shown that working out and exercising, specifically cardiovascular, can help create new brain cells and improve the overall performance of one’s brain and mental functions. Daily physical activity can increase the production of cells that are used for memory and learning. Sprinting can increase one’s vocabulary. Breene states that “Research shows that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers”, which is hard to believe.

I think this article was really helpful to understand the benefits of eating well and exercising. Most people think that exercising only helps your physical appearance when in reality it helps a lot more than that. It amazes me that something as simple as running sprints can improve your vocabulary comprehension, or that any cardiovascular activity can reduce your chances of developing alzheimers at a later date. A question I’d like to ask the author is, What makes different activities beneficial to different things? Why aren’t all types of exercises beneficial to your mind and only a few are? Understanding that physical activity and healthy eating can improve the basic functions of one’s brain, as well as the more complex functions, can help an individual for his or her future.


Link to Article

Intramural Recreation on College Campuses

I found an article online at collegeview.com that relates to intramural sports. The title is "Intramurals on a College Campus" and is written by the author Bob Kring, the director of campus recreation at Olivet Nazarene University.

Kring’s article explains why college intramurals are beneficial to the students and to the institution itself. A study done by the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association shows that students who balance their recreation and their classes have a more enjoyable college experience than students who aren’t involved. The same study showed the these students paid more attention in classes as well. Intramurals help many students get their minds off of their class work and creates a great environment for making friends. Students looking to get involved on campus often want to find leadership opportunities; intramurals give them just that. Kring says “There are opportunities for students at some schools to work in the intramural program, giving those students leadership experience and an opportunity to develop their people skills”. Schools are also benefiting from intramurals. The study I mentioned earlier by the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association showed the students were often attracted to campuses and universities that have good recreational activities and fitness. Kring is a believer in intramurals on campus and how it helps those students that are involved create friendships and develop leadership skills throughout their journey through college.

This article showed me different ideas about intramural sports that I hadn't thought of before. I thought that intramurals were just something that people did to relieve stress or to play for the love of the game, but its much more than that. Intramurals offer leadership opportunities that people can become involved in. What I don’t understand is what are these specific opportunities? Is a team captain for a certain sport considered leadership or do you have to become involved with the intramural organization? I had always planned on joining an intramural team, but now that I am aware of the leadership opportunities they offer, it seems much more satisfying to join.

Link to Article