how dog therapy works

Have you ever thought about how a furry friend could help you feel better? Dog therapy is a type of animal-assisted therapy. It’s known for making people healthier and happier¹.

Dogs are the most common therapy animals. They bring comfort and support in many places². These dogs help by making special hormones like serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin². You can find them in hospitals and schools, helping people in big ways.

Studies show that animal-assisted therapy can calm people, lower blood pressure, and help with talking to others². It’s not just about getting hugs and seeing happy dogs. Dog therapy is also good for treating anxiety, depression, and PTSD¹.

We’re going to look into how dog therapy works. We’ll see the science behind the bond between humans and animals. And we’ll learn why these dogs might be the best medicine for many people.

Key Takeaways

Dog therapy is a form of animal-assisted therapy that benefits physical and mental health.
Therapy dogs can trigger the release of mood-boosting hormones.
Animal-assisted therapy helps with relaxation and improving social interactions.
Dog therapy shows promise in treating various mental health conditions.
The human-animal bond is at the core of how dog therapy works.

Understanding Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy is now a key way to help with mental and physical health. It uses the bond between humans and animals to heal and improve well-being.

Defining Dog Therapy

Dog therapy is a special kind of animal-assisted therapy. Trained dogs help people with different health issues³.

The Human-Animal Bond

The bond between humans and animals is at the heart of pet therapy. This bond can make people feel better by raising serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin levels, and lowering cortisol⁴. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and boosts happiness and social skills⁵.

Types of Animal-Assisted Interventions

Animal-assisted therapy has many types for different goals. These include:

Animal-assisted activities for comfort and support
Targeted therapy sessions for heart patients in long-term care
Specialized programs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder⁵

Dogs and cats are most common, but fish, guinea pigs, and horses can also be used⁵.

Type of Intervention	Description	Common Settings
Animal-Assisted Therapy	Goal-oriented interventions with specific therapeutic outcomes	Clinical offices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers
Animal-Assisted Activities	General interactions for comfort and support	Nursing homes, schools, libraries
Animal-Assisted Education	Educational interventions using animals to support learning	Schools, special education programs

The Science Behind Dog Therapy

Studies show that being with therapy dogs can make us feel happy. This is because it makes our bodies release feel-good hormones. These hormones help us relax and fight anxiety and depression.

Dog therapy is good for our hearts. In a 2007 study, heart patients got better after seeing therapy dogs. They had lower blood pressure and stress hormones⁶. The American Heart Association says therapy animals help heart failure patients in hospitals⁶.

Our immune system gets stronger with dog therapy too. Being around friendly dogs can make our immune system work better. Just petting a dog for a short time can help⁶.

Dog therapy helps with anxiety and depression too. Being with therapy dogs lowers stress hormones and raises the “love hormone”⁷. A study found that therapy dogs make students less anxious⁷.

Dogs help many people, not just some. Kids with autism do better in therapy with animals⁶. Older adults with dementia calm down more when with therapy dogs⁶.

Looking into dog therapy, we see they do more than just keep us company. They are key to making us healthier in body and mind.

Dog therapy helps both your mind and body. We’ll see how therapy dogs, their handlers, and patients work together to heal.

The Role of Trained Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs get special training to comfort and support people. They go to places like hospitals, schools, and disaster areas. They make people feel calm⁸.

These dogs make patients’ brains release happy chemicals. This lowers stress and helps people relax⁹.

Typical Therapy Dog Sessions

A therapy dog session is about 15 minutes long. Patients meet the dog and its handler during this time. These meetings help with mental health and physical healing⁸.

For kids, these dogs help them talk better with therapists. They also make going to the doctor less scary⁹.

Interaction Between Dogs, Handlers, and Patients

How dogs, handlers, and patients interact is very important. Handlers help patients reach their goals with medical advice. In schools, these dogs calm kids and help them with their work¹⁰.

This teamwork helps people in physical therapy and those who have trouble speaking⁹.

Training therapy dogs aims for a positive experience for everyone. It’s not a replacement for regular treatments. But, it does help reduce symptoms, lower stress, and make people feel better overall¹⁰.

Emotional support dogs are becoming more popular on college campuses. They help students feel less stressed and happier⁹.

Physical Health Benefits of Dog Therapy

Dog therapy helps our bodies in big ways. It’s more than just emotional support. It makes our physical health better too.

Let’s look at how dog therapy helps our hearts, reduces pain, and boosts our movements.

Cardiovascular Improvements

Being around therapy dogs is good for our hearts. Petting them can make our heart systems work better and lower blood pressure¹¹. This fun time with dogs also lowers stress and boosts a happy chemical in our body¹².

This can make our heart healthier and lower the risk of heart problems.

Pain Reduction

Dog therapy is great for easing pain. Therapy dogs can make people with different health issues feel less pain¹¹. When we’re with these dogs, our body makes a chemical that helps us feel less pain.

This can be a big help for people getting over surgery or an accident¹³.

Enhanced Motor Skills

Dog therapy is also good for our movements. In places for older people, it lets them walk dogs. This gets them moving more¹¹.

Playing or walking with a therapy dog can make our joints and muscles work better. It also makes people want to do more exercises, which can help them heal faster.

FAQ

What is dog therapy, and how does it work?

Dog therapy uses trained dogs to help people feel better. It’s also called animal-assisted therapy. These dogs help people with physical and mental health issues. They make people feel less stressed and more happy.Patients can touch the dogs or do fun activities with them. This makes them feel calm and relaxed. It’s because the dogs make them release happy hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.

What are the benefits of dog therapy?

Dog therapy has many good things it can do. It can make your heart healthier, lower pain, and help you move better. Being with therapy dogs can make your blood pressure go down and stress levels too.It can also make you feel less pain. Plus, it can get you to move more. This helps your joints and your ability to move.

How are therapy dogs trained and certified?

Therapy dogs go through a lot of training and get certified. They learn to stay calm and listen in different places. Their personality is checked too.And the people who work with them also get special training. They help the dogs and the patients work together to reach therapy goals.

What is the human-animal bond, and how does it relate to dog therapy?

The human-animal bond is about how people naturally want to be with animals. It’s a special connection that can make us feel calm and less stressed. This is why therapy dogs are so good at helping people feel better.They make patients feel calm and open to getting better. It’s a strong way to help people feel good.

Can dog therapy help with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression?

Yes, studies show that dog therapy can help with anxiety and depression. Being with therapy dogs can make you feel happier. It does this by making you release happy hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.

Source Links

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/animal-therapy – Animal therapy: How it works, benefits, and more
https://www.verywellhealth.com/animal-therapy-5212800 – What Is Animal Therapy?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10217936/ – Understanding the Role of Therapy Dogs in Human Health Promotion
https://psychcentral.com/health/animal-assisted-therapy – Animal-Assisted Therapy: How it Helps
https://www.healthline.com/health/pet-therapy – Pet Therapy | Definition and Patient Education
https://www.husson.edu/online/blog/2022/07/benefits-of-animal-assisted-therapy – Home
https://www.caninecomprehension.com.au/blog/the-science-behind-therapy-dogs-understanding-the-benefits-for-students39-mental-health_117s225 – The Science Behind Therapy Dogs: Understanding the Benefits for Students’ Mental Health
https://www.therapydogs.com/what-do-therapy-dogs-actually-do/ – What Do Therapy Dogs Actually Do? – Alliance of Therapy Dogs Inc.
https://www.bvhealthsystem.org/expert-health-articles/pet-therapy – Pet Therapy
https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/companion-and-therapy-animals-mental-wellbeing – How Do Companion Animals and Therapy Animals Support Mental Well-being?
https://www.therapydogs.com/the-surprising-benefits-of-therapy-dogs-this-2022/ – Benefits Of Therapy Dogs 2022 l Therapy Dogs
https://www.therapydogs.com/benefits-of-therapy-dogs-in-a-mental-health-institution/ – Benefits of Therapy Dogs in a Mental Health Institution
https://www.verywellmind.com/therapy-dogs-benefits-2615438 – How Dogs Can Offer a Unique Form of Mental Health Therapy