A Dog’s Perspective on Animal-Assisted Interventions

Glenk, Lisa Maria

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-30734-9_15

Cited by 6 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…For the framework, the handler is not only the responsible of the planning but also for the management of the space. For instance, handlers can organize the space of the session with a safe place for their dogs to escape from interactions if they are stressed or tired [ 15 , 91 ]. As mentioned before, handlers must adjust to their dogs, not force interactions with the beneficiaries and leave a margin of control to their dogs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, organizations such as the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) [ 3 ] and Animal Assisted Intervention International (AAII) [ 14 ] have published guidelines on not only the practices involved in AAI, but also the welfare of the animals involved. Studies about therapy animal (in this paper we use the term “therapy animal/dog” because it is the most current term, but it is important to mention that it must change because not all animals in AAI are involved in “ therapy ”) welfare are still in their infancy and concern various species, including dogs (complete reviews in [ 12 , 15 ]), horses (i.e., [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]) and guinea pigs [ 19 , 20 ]. Focusing on canine species, currently, there is no systematic selection of dogs or required training [ 21 ], which can be linked to the variability of contexts in AAI that complicates the application of a selection standard [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is currently little consensus regarding the consequences of such interventions on the dogs involved [ 12 ] although the integration of animals in AAI is only ethically justifiable if the animal also benefits from the interactions [ 31 ]. Moreover, it is important to mention that the physical contact to communicate and tactile interactions are rarely used by dogs [ 32 ], although the appreciation of close intimate contact with strangers is an expected behavioral trait in therapy dogs [ 15 , 33 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the behavioral observation side, according to the majority of studies, little or no stress behavior is observed in the dogs studied [ 11 , 29 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. This diversity of results could be linked to the diverse spectrum of types of AAIs including a heterogeneity in settings, as well as in the different characteristics of handlers and dogs [ 10 , 15 , 26 , 48 ]. Note also that program monitoring and ethical standards related to research effectively limit risks to dog welfare and generalization of results due to lack of fidelity to actual practice [ 41 , 49 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Handlers’ Representations on Therapy Dogs’ Welfare

Mignot

Luca

Servais

et al. 2022

Animals

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While research on the benefits of animal-assisted interventions is beginning to build a significant body of work, studies on the well-being of therapy dogs are still in their infancy. Since handlers are the people responsible for their therapy dog’s welfare, we interviewed 111 French handlers through an online questionnaire. Our results underlined that (i) therapy dogs’ welfare is multidimensional when physical and psychological welfare, a balance between work and dog life and the settings and interactions of sessions are all taken into consideration. (ii) The response of our handlers emphasized that considering therapy dog welfare is important for the quality and safety of AAI. (iii) Three categories of risks factors were highlighted: the spatio-temporal framework (planning and environment), the interactions with beneficiaries and the handler themselves. It is particularly important that handlers talk about the negative impact of interactions with beneficiaries since they are at the heart of AAI, however there are few studies focusing on interactions as a stressor for dogs in this practice. Moreover, since there is a potential for positive bias in the handlers’ representations, it is important that they be trained to identify and manage the stress in their dogs. Future research is particularly needed on the impact of interactions during sessions on therapy dog welfare.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Handlers’ Representations on Therapy Dogs’ Welfare

Mignot

Luca

Servais

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Other strategies identified by our study as being important or essential to maintaining canine welfare include suitability assessments of and animal familiarization with the venue prior to engaging in client work. This has been highlighted in the literature as an important way to mitigate canine stress in AAI [ 34 , 35 , 37 , 66 ]. Equal importance should be given to the welfare of animals and humans in CAP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guidance on Minimum Standards for Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Adolescent Mental Health: Delphi Expert Consensus on Health, Safety, and Canine Welfare

Jones,

Filia,

Rice

et al. 2024

Animals

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As interest in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and canine-assisted psychotherapy (CAP) grows, there are increasing calls for the management of related health, safety, and welfare concerns for canines, providers, and clients. Existing health and safety guidelines lack empirical support and are, at times, contradictory. Welfare is increasingly prioritized; however, tools to monitor and manage welfare are underutilized and under-reported. The aim of this study was to provide expert consensus on the minimum health, safety, and welfare standards required to develop and deliver a CAP group program to adolescents experiencing common mental health disorders. Diverse AAT experts were recruited globally. Using Delphi methodology, over two rounds, 40 panelists reached a consensus agreement to include 32 items from a possible 49 into the minimum standards. Health and safety measures included risk assessment, veterinary screening, preventative medicine, training in infection control, and first aid. Welfare measures included training in welfare assessment, documentation of welfare, and flexible, individualized responses to promote wellbeing. Intestinal screening for parasites and the prohibition of raw food were not supported. Flexible and individualized assessment and management of canine welfare were supported over fixed and time-limited work schedules. Clinical practice implications are discussed, and recommendations are made.

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