Therapy dogs can improve cardiovascular health and trigger the release of hormones, while hour-long sessions with dogs can calm stressed students and help them focus better, according to a study by Washington State University. Around 1,000 US colleges and universities use pets, and the trend is also prevalent in the UK. Florence Nightingale and Sigmund Freud were early practitioners of animal-assisted therapy.
Previous research has found that therapy dogs can improve a person’s cardiovascular health by allowing them to cut back on medication. In addition, simply petting a puppy has been shown to trigger the release of hormones, particularly serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin, and improve mood. More recently, researchers at Washington State University have found that hour-long sessions with dogs can calm stressed students who are at risk for academic failure. The study, which involved more than 300 college students, found that the sessions helped students focus better, allowing them to absorb information more fully. “Students most at risk, such as those with mental health problems, showed the greatest benefits,” said researcher Patricia Pendry.
The dog is their co-pilot:
Around 1,000 US colleges and universities now use pets and the trend is also prevalent in the UK. Middlesex University even has ‘canine teaching assistants’ on staff to help stop students dropping out.
British nurse Florence Nightingale was an early practitioner of animal-assisted therapy in the late 19th century; she noted that the presence of animals helped reduce anxiety levels among psychiatric patients.
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, used dogs to help his troubled patients feel at ease by encouraging reticent patients to talk to them. He found that this approach helped patients open up more easily.
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