Supporting animals and veterans through enrichment: An exploratory study on a brief canine socializing intervention

Abstract

Veterans pursuing post-secondary education may experience reintegration challenges and academic-related stress. To support student well-being, colleges and universities have begun to offer animal-assisted interventions (AAI); however, the influence of AAI programs on student veteran populations remains underexplored. Furthermore, the welfare impact of AAI programs on incorporating animals has begun to be assessed. As shelter dogs can benefit from human interaction, a mixed-methods design was used to assess if dogs and student veterans could benefit from participating in a brief 30-min unstructured interaction. We aimed to identify whether: the interaction influenced veteran reported mood state, the dog and the interaction activities completed influenced veteran experience, and the interaction influenced shelter dog behavior. Thirty veterans ( M age = 34, SD = 9.2; 24 males, 4 females) enrolled in a southern United States mid-size public university participated along with screened shelter dogs ( N = 30, M age = 2, SD = 0.9; 17 males, 13 females). Veterans were instructed to engage in the activities of their choosing (i.e., petting, playing, talking, providing treats, brushing) with a shelter dog. To assess changes in veteran mood, a pictorial self-report scale (assessing arousal (activated, deactivated), and valence (pleasant, unpleasant)) was completed pre- and post-interaction. Dog behavior was measured in shelter before the interaction and during the beginning, middle, and end of the interaction. Results reveal veterans reported pleasant post-interaction mood states, an overall positive experience and activity enjoyment. Qualitative results indicated that veterans perceived the dog behavior to be the most memorable aspect of participation, positively influencing their overall interaction experience. Dogs entered the interaction with more behavioral displays of fear (e.g., reduced posture), general activity (e.g., jumping), and soliciting contact behaviors (e.g., soliciting play), with all behavioral activity reducing halfway into the interaction, potentially suggesting increased relaxation over the course of the interaction. Observed decreases in dog fear behavior and veteran reported activity enjoyment suggests benefits for shelter dogs and student veterans.