A Systematic Review of Dog-Assisted Therapy in Children with Behavioural and Developmental Disorders

Objectives Animal-assisted therapy with dogs is regularly used in children with behavioural and developmental disorders. Aims of this systematic review were threefold: to analyse the methodological quality of studies on dog-assisted therapy (DAT) for children with behavioural and developmental disorders, to determine to which extent the studies on DAT adhere to the quality criteria developed by the International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organisation (IAHAIO) and to describe the characteristics of the participants, the intervention and the outcomes. Method Three databases (i.e. PsycInfo, MedLine and Eric) were searched, and 14 studies on DAT were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist (JBIC) and the quality criteria developed by the IAHAIO were used during data extraction. Characteristics of the participants, the intervention, the therapy dogs and the outcomes of the studies were summarised. Results Six of the 14 included studies reported significant outcomes of DAT, whereof six in the social domain and two in the psychological domain. However, scores on the JBIC indicated low to moderate methodological quality and only three of the included studies adhered to the IAHAIO quality criteria. Conclusions DAT is a promising intervention for children with behavioural and developmental disorders, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder. A clear description of the therapy’s components, the role of the therapy dog and analysis of the treatment integrity and procedural fidelity would improve the methodological quality of the studies and the field of dog-assisted interventions.

Treating Agitation in Patients with Dementia with a Therapy Dog in a Milieu Therapy Setting on a Geropsychiatric Ward

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Animal-assisted intervention has become a common therapeutic practice used for patients with dementia in home-dwelling and institutions. The most established procedure is a visiting service by specially trained dogs and their owners to improve social interactions and reduce symptoms of agitation. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The study aims to investigate the effects of a therapy dog on agitation of inpatients with dementia in a gerontopsychiatric ward. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> The severity of agitation was assessed by a rater blinded for the presence of the dog via the Overt Agitation Severity Scale (OASS). The scale was conducted on 1 day with the dog and his handler present (resident doctor on the ward) and on another day with only the handler present. Each patient was his/her own control. Heart rate variability (HRV) and serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) of the patients were measured on both days. 26 patients with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score &#x3c;21 and the diagnosis of dementia were included in the study. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A significant reduction of agitation in the OASS could be shown when the dog was present (<i>p</i> = 0.006). The data neither demonstrated a difference in the HRV for the parameters mean heart rate (<i>p</i> = 0.65), root mean square of successive differences (<i>p</i> = 0.63), and high frequencies (<i>p</i> = 0.27) nor in serum BDNF concentrations (<i>p</i> = 0.42). <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> Therapy dogs can be implemented as a therapeutic tool in a gerontopsychiatric ward to reduce symptoms of agitation in patients with dementia. The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00024093).

Development of an Animal-Assisted Activity/Therapy Dog Checklist for Long-Term Care Facilities

Animal-assisted activities (AAA) and therapy standards of practice have been published to protect the well-being of animals, animal handlers, and the special populations of patients that benefit from this mode of treatment. Inconsistencies among practice standards with concerns surrounding the topics of dog welfare, human well-being, and zoonotic transmission have been reported. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to review published AAA and therapy standards with older adult populations for best practices, conduct focus group sessions with caregivers from long-term care facilities that allow therapy dog visitation, and synthesize findings into an AAA checklist to be used by long-term care facility decision-makers when interviewing or bringing in therapy dog teams. Comparative analyses utilizing a systematic and sequential approach was used to analyze the data from the focus group sessions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only two focus group sessions at one long-term care facility were conducted resulting in a total of 15 caregivers. Four themes emerged from the data: promotes positive mood, essential resident screenings, caregiver roles, and memory aides. Relevant themes and AAA and therapy standards and guidelines were then combined in the development of the AAA/Therapy Dog Checklist. Administrators may find having a user-friendly AAA/therapy dog checklist a useful tool that can be used when interviewing therapy dog teams to ensure future dog therapy experiences will be positive and safe. The safety and well-being of residents in long-term care facilities and animals are essential to promote positive health outcomes for both populations.

2021 AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines

ABSTRACT The guidelines are the first comprehensive consensus report on veterinary healthcare recommendations for working, assistance, and therapy dogs. This category of canine patients includes a broad assortment of animals, some with well-defined functions and others that provide a more generalized support role. The guidelines discuss recommendations for dogs trained for protection, odor/scent detection, service functions for people with diagnosed disabilities or physical limitations, emotional support, and therapeutic intervention. Although the term is often used to describe dogs providing animal-assisted activities, true therapy dogs provide goal-directed therapy, often under the supervision of a healthcare professional such as an occupational therapist or psychologist. Many working dogs undergo extensive training and have rigorous physical demands placed upon them. These factors make working, assistance, and therapy dogs inherently valuable and impose a need for a high level of primary veterinary care as described in the guidelines. Because working dogs have a particularly close relationship with their handlers, a trust relationship between the practice team and the working-dog client is imperative.

Therapy Dog Welfare Revisited: A Review of the Literature

During the past decade, the field of human–animal interaction(s) research has been characterized by a significant increase in scientific findings. These data have contributed to our current understanding of how humans may benefit from contact with animals. However, the animal experience of these interactions is still an under-researched area. This paper addresses the welfare of dogs who participate in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) to improve health in human recipients. This paper builds on previous work by Glenk (2017) and provides an updated review of the literature on therapy dog welfare published from 2017–2021. New advances in scientific methodology, such as the determination of salivary oxytocin, breath rate and tympanic membrane temperature, are analyzed regarding their value and limitations for research in AAIs. Moreover, welfare-related social and environmental factors (e.g., freedom of choice, exploration of novel environments, inequity aversion, individual development, working experience, relationship with handler and handler skills) that profoundly influence dog perception and well-being are reviewed and discussed. Accounting for the globally increasing interest and the number of dogs utilized in AAIs, safeguarding therapy dog well-being, and identifying situations, circumstances and protocols that may challenge animal welfare remains an emerging and crucial area of scientific effort.

Therapy Dogs in Educational Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations for Implementation

Therapy dogs in educational settings have gained increase traction in recent years. Despite its potential benefits and popularity, there remain concerns of perceived risks such as sanitation, allergies, and safety issues, as well as a lack of guidelines, regulations and support resources available to school staff. Research is further lacking into the implementation process of therapy dog programs in educational settings. To construct a set of recommendations for school staff to achieve successful implementation of a therapy dog program, the present study investigated the perceived facilitative and impeding factors when implementing a therapy dog program. A total of 13 school staff and 2 coordinators from therapy dog organisations took part in an open-ended online survey and/or a semi-structured interview over the phone, with the aim of gathering their perspectives of implementing a therapy dog program in schools. The thematic analysis of the data indicated facilitative factors such as program flexibility, whole-school support, the need for communication and training for all staff, as well as dog welfare. Successful implementation of therapy dogs in an education setting appear to revolve around (1) flexibility of the dog therapy program to target school's needs, (2) qualities of program instigator, (3) whole-school support, (4) communication, training and education, (5) considerations for dog's welfare. Key barriers identified included a high workload, lack of guidelines on processes, lack of support from the school community, as well as the need for better understanding of the role of a therapy dog. The results highlighted the importance of a whole-school effort when implementing a therapy dog program, as well as the need for guidelines for assessing school readiness, key factors for consideration, and strategies to overcome challenges associated with program implementation.

Patient & staff perceptions of animal-assisted therapy in psychiatric rehabilitation

AimsTo study patients' subjective experiences of having access to a therapy dog and to assess the staff perception of the impact of pet therapy. Hypothesis: pet therapy services are acceptable for rehabilitation patients.BackgroundAnimal-assisted therapy (AAT) is the supervised use of an animal in a therapeutic setting to help in the treatment of physical or psychological disorders in humans. The use of dogs in the context of AAT - ‘dog therapy’ (DT) - has been piloted in the context of stroke rehabilitation; schizophrenia in elderly patients; depression, loneliness and anxiety in elderly patients; Alzheimer's disease; symptom reduction in PTSD; cognitive impairment; and dementia. The impact of pet therapy in long term psychosis care has not been adequately assessed.MethodThis feasibility pilot study used questionnaires to assess patient (n = 12) and staff (n = 10) perceptions of dog therapy in an in-patient psychiatric rehabilitation setting. 24 patients on a rehabilitation ward with complex psychosis were offered the opportunity to interact with ‘Nugget,’ a corgi trained in the United States as a ‘therapy dog.’ A ‘patient questionnaire’ (PQ) and a ‘staff questionnaire’ (SQ) assessed the acceptability and self-rated benefits of the intervention.ResultAll patients (100%) rated highly on the enjoyment, anxiety, calmness, and comfort domains during the dog therapy, and expressed willingness to receive further sessions in the future. The SQ measured staff perceptions of patients’ engagement, enjoyment, comfort and emotional response to the therapy. 100% of staff rated highly on all questions and thought the interventions had recovery value. Engagement was one key factor noted in the feedback. There were no reported adverse reactions to the intervention.ConclusionOur preliminary results showed high acceptability and perceived value for Animal assisted therapy in a psychiatric rehabilitation setting. Given the impact of social isolation and need for connectedness, we recommend access to pet therapy where possible to be integrated into individual recovery programmes.

The buffer effect of therapy dog exposure on stress reactivity in undergraduate students

Stress is an insidious health risk that is commonly reported among university students. While research suggests that dog exposure may facilitate recovery from a stress response, little is known about the buffer effect of dog exposure on the stress response to a future stressor. This study examined whether interaction with a therapy dog could reduce the strength of the physiological stress response when exposed to a subsequent stressor. Sixty-one university students were randomly assigned to either a therapy dog (TD, n = 31) or a no-dog control (C, n = 30) group. The stress response was measured by electrodermal activity (EDA) in response to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Participants also completed questionnaires that assessed pet attitude, general stress levels, and affect. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) showed that increase in EDA was significantly more pronounced in the C group than in the TD group (p < 0.01). Pet attitudes did not modulate the buffer effect of therapy dog exposure. Results suggest that therapy dog exposure may buffer the stress response in university students, which has implications for the promotion of a viable stress management program on university campuses. Keywords: stress; therapy dog; intervention; human-animal interaction