What is a therapy dog?

Therapy dogs are trained to provide social and emotional comfort and care to people who are sick, injured, or disabled, or who have suffered some kind of trauma or have an emotional disorder. They are considered a category of assistance animal separate from dogs used as guides or for hearing, service, or seizure alert purposes. Any dog breed can become a therapy dog, as long as the animal possesses an easygoing temperament, is not afraid of strangers, and can remain calm in stressful environments. While the first official therapy dog was recorded in the 1940s, the concept did not become widespread until the 1970s.

Therapy dogs are used in a wide variety of environments for a diverse range of people. They can be found in hospitals, nursing homes, disaster areas, schools, and in the homes of the physically or developmentally disabled. While the bond between dogs and humans has been documented for centuries, research into the medical science behind dog therapy is a growing field as more and more beneficial uses for canines are uncovered.

Background

The first dog officially documented as providing a form of therapy was a Yorkshire terrier named Smoky, who was found in the New Guinea jungle in 1944 by an American soldier during World War II and sold to Corporal William Wynne. For two years, Smoky accompanied Wynne through combat in the South Pacific, becoming famous for her exploits. Although the concept of animal therapy was not yet fully established, Smoky was allowed under special orders to visit wounded patients to boost their morale.

In 1976, Elaine Smith founded Therapy Dogs International (TDI), the first organization dedicated exclusively to training, certifying, and registering dogs for use as therapy animals. Smith, a nurse, came up with the idea after she noticed the positive reactions of patients when a chaplain brought his golden retriever with him on hospital visits. TDI began with five handlers and six dogs and by 2012 the organization had over twenty-four thousand registered dog and handler teams.

Following in Smith’s footsteps, former zoo employee Nancy Stanley began a program providing contact with animals to handicapped children and elderly patients in convalescent hospitals in 1982. Stanley founded Tender Loving Zoo (TLZ) the same year as a nonprofit organization to support and promote animal therapy. Because mainstream medicine did not yet promote the use of dogs or other animals for therapeutic purposes, it fell to grassroots projects and enthusiasts to spread the technique.

Since the formation of TDI and TLZ, there has been much advancement in the use of therapy dogs. Following the legacy of Smith and Stanley, the American Kennel Club (AKC) became a leading organization regulating the certification of therapy dogs. Demand for therapy dogs continued to grow through the 1990s and 2000s, and as of 2014 there were over 120 therapy dog training organization in North America.

Overview

Therapy dogs are used in a wide variety of environments to help a diverse range of people find comfort and cope with their problems, and the number of applications continues to grow and develop. Although the amount of scientific research into the therapeutic benefit of dogs is limited, several studies suggest there are real biological effects triggered by dog and human relationships. A 2012 study in Frontiers in Psychology by Andrea Beetz and others recognized that human-animal interactions can lower levels of stress hormones, normalize breathing, and decrease blood pressure. The study further found that petting a dog releases the hormone oxytocin in both the human and the dog, which influences bonding and affection. Though not all of the results of dog therapy claimed by practitioners are rigorously proven, the technique’s demonstrated success with various types of patients has led to its implementation in rehabilitative settings, disaster zones, and in the care of children with autism.

Therapy dogs are used in a variety of medical facilities, including veterans and children’s hospitals, nursing homes, mental health clinics, and rehabilitation centers. Different programs may offer a simple visit by one or more dogs aimed at raising patients’ spirits, or provide formal sessions dedicated to specific therapeutic goals. Dogs may stay with an individual patient for a few minutes or up to an hour or more, depending on the patient’s needs and response to the therapy. Therapy dogs may also provide stress reduction to staff and visiting family members; oftentimes handlers will take dogs into waiting rooms to help families take their minds off their troubles for a moment. Some dogs are even used at hospital entrances to ease the tension of people as they arrive.

Therapy dogs have been used in efforts to relieve stress and speed the healing process for people who have experienced trauma at disaster areas. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, therapy dog organizations approached the area to comfort those who had lost loved ones, as well as firemen, policemen, military personnel, and others. Therapy dogs have also been put to use during other crisis interventions, including with survivors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and those affected by natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, also in 2012.

Therapy dog programs are increasingly popular in the treatment of children with developmental disorders. In particular, some children with autism and Asperger syndrome have responded very well to therapy dogs, oftentimes forming strong bonds with the dogs and confiding in them in ways they do not with humans. Similarly, children with low self-esteem may be more willing to interact with animals than humans. Based on this theory, therapy dogs have been used in reading programs that help struggling children with low confidence improve their literary skills. By reading aloud to a dog rather than in front of a teacher, parent, or classmates, children can feel unafraid of being judged if they make a mistake.

Bibliography

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