Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy

Abstract

Health care and human service providers may include dogs in formal intervention settings to positively impact human physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains. Dogs working within this context are asked to cope with a multitude of variables including settings, populations, activities, and schedules. In this article, the authors highlight how both the preparation and operation of dogs within animal-assisted therapy (AAT) differs from less structured animal-assisted activities (AAA) and more exclusive assistance animal work; the authors highlight the gaps in our knowledge in this regard, and propose an ethically sound framework for pragmatic solutions. This framework also emphasizes the need for good dog welfare to safeguard all participants. If dogs are not properly matched to a job or handler, they may be subjected to unnecessary stress, anxiety, and miscommunication that can lead to disinterest in the work, overt problematic behavioral or health outcomes, or general unsuitability. Such issues can have catastrophic outcomes for the AAT. The authors propose standards for best practices for selection, humane-based preparation and training, and ongoing evaluation to ensure the health, welfare and well-being of dogs working in AAT, which will have concomitant benefits for clients and the professionalism of the field.

Enhancing the Selection and Performance of Working Dogs

“…In some cases, dogs may work part-time and live as pets with their owner or handler when not working—for example, this is true for many volunteer search-and-rescue dogs ( 42 ) as well as therapy dogs ( 186 ). It is also true that not all dogs who serve in a working role were specifically bred or selected for that purpose initially.…”

Considering the “Dog” in Dog–Human Interaction

“…Most dog–human interaction studies investigate whether a specified exposure to a dog is salutary to humans ( 4 ). The common-sensical notion that animals who are already inside our homes “must” be good for human health implicitly or explicitly drives this research.…”

“…What do these observations about the status of dogs in HAI research highlight? Significantly, they highlight that our society supports animals being used—used for the sake of another: the human animal ( 4 ). Can using animals for our purposes be justified?…”

The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions

“…Assessment of working dog welfare should occur routinely throughout working life (153)(154)(155), with regular reviews of exit data (when dogs are discontinued from training or retired from work) to look for patterns across time to identify other animal welfare concerns, relating to both physical and mental states [ (156)(157)(158)]. These initiatives should include consideration for all environments and activities, including those outside of operational working sessions and with transparent surveillance and reporting across the full life cycle.…”