Using dogs in the therapy process can add an entirely unique dimension to what can be done during a typical therapy session. Research has found that animals, particularly domesticated dogs and horses, tend to heighten motivation and relaxation.

Therapy dogs are a classic example of the value that an animal adds to therapy. Other animals are often used in the therapy process as well. For example, cats can encourage discussion in a therapy session and tend to relax anxious clients.

Research examining the bonds between humans and animals have suggested that even non-therapy animals (such as pets) provide unexpected psychological benefits for children and adults. Many of the these same qualities that make pets beneficial at home are what makes them useful in therapy, from self-esteem building to creating rapport with reclusive patients that have been traumatized.

Dogs in Individual, Group, Family, and Couples Therapy

Using dogs in therapy is often an adjunct to individual, group, family, and even couples therapy sessions. The type of dog used usually depends on the needs of the person or group. The specific purpose of using the dog is identified by the therapist and in the treatment process is different for each person or group being treated. The over-arching theory is that an animal in therapy can make it easier for a person to benefit from therapy, partially because he or she becomes more comfortable.

Clients often report that having a dog in therapy normalizes a stressful situation and reduces anxiety. In some studies, clients stated that interacting with a dog was significantly less stressful than talking to another person, including the therapist.

Allowing people who feel anxious and stressed when disclosing personal information to a therapist to communicate to the animal instead can alleviate stress, and make it easier for the patient to be open and honest. The use of animals in therapy was found as early as 1792 by the York Retreat, a facility for the mentally ill in England. The Quakers have a long history if using animals in treatment.

Sigmund Freud and His German Shepherd Jofi

Sigmund Freud, sometimes called the father of modern psychology, often used his German shepherd Jofi in therapy. Freud would communicate comments and interpretations through Jofi, and patients would in turn communicate back using the dog.

Freud believed that people experienced less stress with Jofi present as well as less stress talking to Jofi. Freud’s plan was to use Jofi to help build rapport until gradually his patients felt more comfortable talking directly with him.

Scientific research involving pet therapy began in the 1960’s when psychiatrist Boris Levinson began noticing significant improvements in his child patients when animals were present. Based on these observations, he began sharing his research with his colleagues, to their great interest. Levinson is credited with coining the term, “pet therapy,” which met with great ridicule from his fellow therapists.

The use of dog in therapy can change people’s perception of the therapist and environment, which may make therapy less threatening and more friendly. Research has found that children who are initially resistant to talking to a therapist have been more likely to trust the therapist if a dog is present. In one study, the presence of a dog in therapy was correlated to children perceiving the therapist as someone they were willing to open up to.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, research into pet therapy flourished into the medical field as well as mental health. The primary focus of research was psychiatric patients, both of whom experience mental and physical benefits from pet therapy and pet ownership.