Pet Care

The Therapeutic Power of Dogs

July 18, 2023

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The Therapeutic Power of Dogs

Nothing compares to the joy of coming home to a loyal companion. The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills.

The therapeutic value of our relationship with our pets, particularly dogs, is increasingly recognised by researchers. Cats can be wonderful too – but dogs have been domesticated by humans for much longer, and, as even the most devoted cat lover will admit, dogs are far easier to train for companionship. Most cats, as we know, are admirable for entirely different reasons. Marion Janner, a mental health campaigner and all-round animal lover, says that dogs teach us a whole range of lessons. “Dogs love us unconditionally. They’re the ultimate in equal opportunities – entirely indifferent to race, gender, star sign, CV, clothes size or ability to throw cool moves on the dance floor. The simplicity and depth of this love is a continuous joy, along with the health benefits of daily walks and the social delights of chats with other dog walkers. They teach kids to be responsible, altruistic and compassionate and, valuably but sadly, how to cope when someone you love dies.”

Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Pets have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. Dogs, for example, are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures. And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course).

Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a pet can add real joy and unconditional love to your life. The bond between humans and pets began roughly 40,000 years ago when dogs became domesticated and has continued ever since. You likely already know the benefits of pet companionship either because you had one as a kid, have one as an adult, or know someone who shares their pet with you.

Those benefits can include:

reduced loneliness,
mood boost,
increased feelings of social support, and
improved health

PETS HELP WITH YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

There’s an entire branch of therapy devoted to working with animals called animal-assisted therapy. A popular one is an equine-assisted psychotherapy, also called equestrian therapy or horse therapy. The therapy is well-documented in its ability to treat issues such as grief, addiction, and trauma as people relearn how to recognize and re-cover their feelings, regulate emotions, and better communicate through working with horses. Riders also learn how to build trust with the horse and come to trust themselves again.

Whether you interact with a cat or dog in your therapist’s office, at an animal shelter, or via a cat café, animals can do the following:

Lower your blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health
Slow your breathing
Release the neurotransmitter dopamine, aka, the pleasure hormone, and other feel-good hormones like serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin
Diminish overall physical pain
Provide comfort
And more

PETS PROVIDE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Those are the physical benefits. There are also mental and emotional benefits like lowering anxiety and decreasing depression. However, something people don’t often think about is interacting with animals teaches relational skills. For instance, animals provide endless opportunities for boundary setting. Training pets requires saying “no” to things like jumping on certain furniture or eating items they shouldn’t. Pets also teach you about boundaries because you may want to pet the cat but they have no interest in being touched so they saunter away or hiss at you if you try to touch them. With pets, you learn to honor another being’s “no” because otherwise you may get scratched or bitten.

Working with animals can also create a feeling of empathy or attunement skills as you identify with their feelings: a certain meow means hunger whereas another meow means pain. The more you engage with an animal, the potentially deeper the bond you create. The deeper the bond, the more you work to understand what they’re feeling or needing (even though you may not know for sure).

PETS ALLOW YOU TO GIVE AND RECEIVE

Pets also offer an opportunity to give and receive attention and care. When you’re upset, a dog may nudge your leg or put their head on your lap. Animals show they care about you and that can be incredibly healing if you’re a person who hasn’t or doesn’t experience that on a regular basis.

Having a therapy animal in a session can be an embodied way to gain a deeper understanding of your own projections. In Robert Johnson’s Owning Your Own Shadow, he talks about how oftentimes people project the feelings they may not be able to hold themselves onto their pets. It’s a way to make some sort of sense of your feelings before you may be able to feel them yourself. For example, someone may frequently say an animal is lonely or scared. There may be some truth to that, but, in therapy, the person talking about the animal’s supposed loneliness or fear is more of the focus of the session.

Any pet can improve your health

While it’s true that people with pets often experience greater health benefits than those without, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or a cat. A rabbit could be ideal if you’re allergic to other animals or have limited space but still want a furry friend to snuggle with. Birds can encourage social interaction and help keep your mind sharp if you’re an older adult. Snakes, lizards, and other reptiles can make for exotic companions. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower your pulse rate.

Studies have shown that:

Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
Playing with a dog, cat, or other pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.

One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that pets fulfill the basic human need for touch. Even hardened criminals in prison show long-term changes in their behavior after interacting with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time. Stroking, hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe you when you’re stressed or anxious. The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and most dogs are a great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost your mood and ease depression.

According to a study/research published by White Wolf Pack (2020), Science has been revealing the ways that the physiology of human psychology can be found across species: the common neuronal structures and attendant nerve wirings that we share in varying measures. Animal therapy makes us aware of this cross-species interconnectivity at the purest, subconscious level. It has been established that the tactile element alone in animal therapy releases endorphins, the so-called feel-good hormones that counteract the trauma hormones of adrenaline and cortisol.

According to a study published by Psychology Today (2019) “Whether they have a physical handicap or an emotional handicap or a mental handicap, when you’re around animals,” a researcher says, “the energy is so powerful that it tunes the body up. Animal therapy is increasingly being sought to heal our psychic and social woes. Researchers from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine present evidence that service dogs ameliorate several aspects of health and well-being in people with chronic conditions or physical disabilities. The research further elaborates that beyond providing concrete assistance (e.g., pulling the wheelchair, helping lead the blind in busy streets), service dogs also help improve psychological and social health of those with PTSD, autism, etc.

Hence, please go ahead and adopt pets. They contribute immensely to one’s well being. Although most therapy pets are dogs, other species such as cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses are good candidates to be adopted as pets since they are people friendly and have a good temperament. But the only thing that one should keep in mind is that these lovable pets should be well trained for the happiness of both the pet and the pet parent.

How pets can improve your lifestyle

Adopting healthy lifestyle changes plays an important role in easing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Caring for a pet can help you make healthy lifestyle changes by:

Increasing exercise. Taking a dog for a walk, hike, or run are fun and rewarding ways to fit healthy daily exercise into your schedule. Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements—and exercising every day is great for the animal as well. It will deepen the connection between you, eradicate most behavior problems in dogs, and keep your pet fit and healthy.

Providing companionship. Companionship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression. Caring for an animal can help make you feel needed and wanted, and take the focus away from your problems, especially if you live alone. Most dog and cat owners talk to their pets, some even use them to work through their troubles. And nothing beats loneliness like coming home to a wagging tail or purring cat.

Helping you meet new people. Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Pet owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes.

Reducing anxiety. The companionship of an animal can offer comfort, help ease anxiety, and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out into the world. Because pets tend to live in the moment—they don’t worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow—they can help you become more mindful and appreciate the joy of the present.

Adding structure and routine to your day. Many pets, especially dogs, require a regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed, anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet and you’ll have to get out of bed to feed, exercise, and care for them.

Providing sensory stress relief. Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed.

Get a dog, lose weight

A number of studies have linked owning a dog to losing weight:

A year-long study at the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago found that walking an overweight dog helped both the animals and their owners shed unwanted pounds. Researchers found that the dogs provided support in similar ways to a human exercise buddy, but with greater consistency and without any negative influence.
Another study by the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction found that public housing residents who walked therapy dogs for up to 20 minutes five days a week lost an average of 14.4 pounds in a year, without changing their diets.
A third study, conducted by dog food manufacturer Mars Petcare, found that people with a dog walked 30 minutes more per week than they did before owning a dog.

The benefits of pets for older adults

As well as providing vital companionship, owning a pet can play an important role in healthy aging by helping you to:

Find meaning and joy in life. As you age, you’ll lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. You may retire from your career or your children may move far away. Caring for a pet can bring pleasure and help boost your morale, optimism, and sense of self-worth. Choosing to adopt a pet from a shelter, especially an older pet, can add to your sense of fulfillment, knowing that you’ve provided a home to a pet that may otherwise have been euthanized.

Maintaining a social network isn’t always easy as you grow older. Retirement, illness, death, and relocation can take away close friends and family members. And making new friends can get harder. Pets, especially dogs, are a great way for older adults to spark up conversations and meet new people.

Boost your vitality. You can overcome many of the physical challenges associated with aging by taking good care of yourself. Dogs, cats, and other pets encourage playfulness, laughter, and exercise, which can help boost your immune system and increase your energy.

How pets help adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

As part of the disease, Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit a variety of behavioral problems, many related to an inability to deal with stress.

Research at the University of California at Davis concluded that Alzheimer’s patients suffer less stress and have fewer anxious outbursts if there is a dog or cat in the home.
Pets can provide a source of positive, nonverbal communication. The playful interaction and gentle touch from a well-trained, docile animal can help soothe an Alzheimer’s patient and decrease aggressive behavior—as can simply being exposed to bright aquariums or fish tanks.
In many cases a patient’s problem behavior is a reaction to the stressed response of the primary caretaker. Pets can help ease the stress of caregivers. Cats or caged animals may be more suitable than dogs, which generally require more care and can add to the burden of someone who’s already looking after an Alzheimer’s patient.

The benefits of pets for children

Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat.

Unlike parents or teachers, pets are never critical and don’t give orders. They are always loving and their mere presence at home can help provide a sense of security in children. Having an ever-present pet can help ease separation anxiety in children when mom and dad aren’t around.
Having the love and companionship of a pet can make a child feel important and help them develop a positive self-image.
Kids who are emotionally attached to their pets are better able to build relationships with other people.
Studies have also shown that pets can help calm hyperactive or overly aggressive kids. Of course, both the animal and the child need to be trained to behave appropriately with each other.
A pet can help develop a young and expanding mind by teaching a child empathy and understanding. Kids can talk with their pet without a fear of rejection, which enables them to build their confidence, and even their vocabulary.
Getting even a small, caged pet, such as a guinea pig or hamster, is a great way to teach a child responsibility.

Like adults, children can benefit from playing with a pet. It can be a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playing with a pet can even be a doorway to learning for a child. It can stimulate a child’s imagination and curiosity. The rewards of training a dog to perform a new trick, for example, can teach kids the importance of perseverance. Caring for a furry friend can also offer another benefit to a child: immense joy.

Children with learning disorders and other challenges

Some children with autism or other learning difficulties are better able to interact with pets than people. Autistic children often rely on nonverbal cues to communicate, just as animals do. And learning to first connect with a pet may even help an autistic child in their interactions with people.

Pets can help children with learning disabilities learn how to regulate stress and calm themselves, making them better equipped to overcome the challenges of their disorder.
Playing and exercising with a dog or cat can help a child with learning disorders stay alert and attentive throughout the day. It can also be a great antidote to stress and frustration caused by the learning disability.
Learning to ride a horse at a local riding stable can help elevate the self-esteem of disabled children, putting them on a more equal level with kids without disabilities.

Owning a pet is a major commitment

Despite all the benefits, it’s important to remember that a pet is not a miracle cure for mental health issues. Owning a pet is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and appreciate domestic animals and have the time and money to keep a pet happy and healthy. If you’re simply not an “animal person,” pet ownership is not going to provide you with any health benefits or improve your life.

Even if you love animals, it’s important to understand everything that caring for a pet entails. Owning a pet is a major commitment that will last through the animal’s lifetime, perhaps 10 or 15 years in the case of dogs. And at the end of that commitment, you’ll face the grief and mourning that comes with losing a beloved companion.

How Animal Interactions Can Support Mental Health and Well-being

Animal companionship has served human beings long throughout our history. Although these relationships were conceived for functional purposes and survival, our inter-species bonds have evolved into complex and tightly knit symbiotic relationships. Dogs, cats, and many other species have become an integral part of our homes, hearts, and even our health.

For many pet owners, their furry friends are the alarm clock that gets them out of bed each morning. Pets require a sense of responsibility beyond ourselves, which promotes structure and consistency in our day to day lives. Their presence alone helps to ground us in our bodies, as animals are far more occupied with their immediate surroundings than most of their human counterparts. This prevents us from overthinking and takes our focus off stressful situations that may be impacting other parts of our lives.

As well, other species do not follow the same social protocols as we do. For this reason, building a relationship with an animal across the language barrier supports the development of stronger emotional, social, and communication skills. This process of bonding has also been shown to increase feelings of self-worth. This is likely because of how reliant our pets are on us. We are the center of their worlds, and therefore the recipients of unconditional love, loyalty, and affection.

Modern research also shows that even the simple act of petting an animal lowers stress hormone levels and blood pressure. This physical connection also releases the brain chemicals oxytocin, serotonin, and prolactin, which create the perfect recipe for an elevated mood.

This has led to a rising interest in animal-based interventions for many mental healthcare patients and providers. Furry friends are now being integrated in treatment plans for everything from depression to schizophrenia in a variety of ways. Therapy animals, psychiatric service animals, and emotional support animals are the three main categories of medically recognized interventions for psychiatric care.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is a relatively new evolution in animal-based medical services. In this practice, the animal functions as both a facilitator of the therapeutic process as well as a motivator for the patient to engage in the treatment plan. This intervention can be incredibly useful in cases where the patient is reluctant to participate in the therapeutic process. The presence of therapy animals has been shown to bring greater ease to these patients, allowing them to share their experiences more deeply.

Dogs are the most popular choice for this type of intervention, but horses, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, and llamas are also used. Therapy animals are used to support a wide range of psychological and physical needs, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, addiction, phobias, dementia, Alzheimer’s, autism, cancer and heart disease. While these animals may primarily service their owner, most therapy animals operate through a visitation program that allows them to offer their services to patients at mental health facilities, rehabilitation programs, hospitals, nursing homes, community centers, and even prisons.

These certified organizations offer ongoing education to both the animal and their owner as well as liability insurance for working with patients. The animals must go through rigorous temperament testing to prevent any dangerous responses to stress, as well as thorough obedience training and vet screening. This ensures that the animal can provide safe, quality care in a variety of environments.

Psychiatric Service Dogs

Service animals are trained to unfailingly perform essential tasks that support an individual with a physical or psychiatric disability. This certification is currently limited specifically to dogs.

These animals must undergo intensive training which is usually conducted by a certified professional shortly after they are weaned from their mother. However, it is possible for an individual to train their adult dog to become a service animal so long as the animal meets the certification criteria.

These animals are constant companions that are given special legal status to enter all public places alongside their owners. They are also protected from restrictive housing policies. The most recognized service dogs work with blind, deaf, and physically limited individuals, such as those confined to a wheelchair. However, service dogs are rising in popularity in the psychiatric field.

Psychiatric service dogs are usually assigned to individuals with serious mental health challenges, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and chronic depression or anxiety.

These dogs may be trained to perform any of the following tasks:

Waking their owner from a nightmare
De-escalating a panic attack
Turning on the lights
Conducting room searches
Interrupting compulsive behaviors
Delivering medication and nagging until it is taken
Getting help

Upon receiving their certifications, psychiatric service dogs will be given a special uniform to wear whenever they join their owner in public places. Remember that these are working dogs that need to pay keen attention to their owner’s needs, so please do not approach or interact with them in public.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Any animal that provides comfort and relief to their owner’s mental health challenges is an emotional support animal, no matter their species. After all, simply having a doting companion to sit beside you as you watch TV has numerous psychological benefits.

These animals do not have the right to access public places like service animals do, but they are given special legal protections against restrictive housing policies. Previously, this exemption also applied to airlines. However, this privilege was retracted in January of 2021.

While emotional support animals are technically protected against housing discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you will probably need to provide a letter from a psychiatric care provider to any potential landlords. Therefore, this special status can only be awarded to pets whose owners have been given a specific diagnosis regarding their mental health.

If you feel that you can benefit from incorporating animal-based interventions into your treatment plan, contact your mental healthcare provider to make the necessary arrangements.

Other drawbacks to owning a pet include:

Pets cost money. Food bills, veterinary care, licenses, grooming costs, toys, bedding, boarding fees, and other maintenance expenses can mount up. If you’re unemployed or elderly, on a limited fixed income, it may be a struggle to cope with the expense of pet ownership.

Pets require time and attention. As any dog owner will tell you, there’s nothing therapeutic about coming home to a dog that has been locked up in the house on his own all day. Dogs need daily exercise to stay calm and well-balanced; most other pets require at least daily care and attention.

Owning a pet can curb some of your social activity. A dog can only be left alone for a limited time. By training your dog, you’ll be able to take him with you to visit friends, run errands, or sit outside a coffee shop, for example, but you won’t be able to leave for a spur of the moment weekend away without arranging care for your pet first.

Pets can be destructive. Any pet can have an occasional accident at home. Some cats may be prone to shredding upholstery, some dogs to chewing shoes. While training can help eradicate negative, destructive behavior, they remain common in animals left alone without exercise or stimulation for long periods of time.

Pets require responsibility. Most dogs, regardless of size and breed, are capable of inflicting injury on people if not handled responsibly by their owners. Even cats can scratch or bite. Pet owners need to be alert to any danger, especially around children.

Pets carry health risks for some people. While there are some diseases that can be transmitted from cats and dogs to their human handlers, allergies are the most common health risk of pet ownership. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a pet allergy, carefully consider whether you can live with the symptoms before committing to pet ownership. Also consider that some friends or relatives with allergies may no longer be able to visit your home if you have a pet.

Lifestyle considerations that influence your choice in a pet

Little outdoor activity. If most of your time is spent at home, consider pets that would be happy to stay with you in that environment. You may enjoy playing with or cuddling a cat or a bunny; taking leisurely walks with an older dog; watching fish or reptiles; or talking or singing along with a bird.

High activity level. If you’re more active and enjoy daily activities outside of your home, especially walking or running, an energetic dog might be right for you. Canine companions thrive on outdoor exercise, keeping you on the move.

Small children and the elderly. Families with small children or elderly living in their homes should consider the size and energy level of a pet. Puppies and kittens are usually very active, but delicate creatures that must be handled with care. Large or rambunctious dogs could accidentally harm or knock over a small child or adult who is unsteady on his or her feet.

Other animals in household. Consider the ongoing happiness and ability to adjust of the pets you already have. While your cat or a dog might love to have an animal friend to play with, a pet that has had exclusive access to your attentions may resent sharing you.

Home environment. If a neat, tidy home, free of animal hair, occasional muddy footprints and “accidents” is important, then a free-roaming dog or long-haired cat may not be the best choice. You may want to choose pets that are confined to their quarters, such as fish, birds, hamsters, or reptiles.

Landscaping concerns. With certain pets, your landscaping will suffer. Many dogs will be tempted to dig holes in your lawn, and dog urine can leave yellow patches—some say unaltered females cause the most damage.

Time commitment. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, keep in mind that you’ll be making a commitment that will last the lifetime of the pet—perhaps 10, 15, or 20 years with a dog or cat; as many as 30 years or more with a bird. You can, of course, consider adopting an older dog or cat from a shelter or rescue group and provide a deserving animal with a loving home for its senior years.

Ultimately, when choosing a pet, be honest with yourself about the lifestyle you enjoy and the kind of pet you’d like to care for. If you’re in doubt about caring for a larger animal, start small, get a fish or a smaller, caged animal. See how it fits and go from there.

Shelter and rescue animals

Whether mixed breed or purebred, dogs and cats adopted from a shelter or rescue group make excellent pets. For the most part, pets end up in a shelter through no fault of their own. Their owner may have died or moved to a place that doesn’t allow pets, or the pet may have simply been abandoned by irresponsible owners who bought them on a whim and later discovered that they were unable or unwilling to care for them properly. If any shelter or rescue animal exhibits aggressive behavior, it is typically euthanized rather than offered for adoption.

Rescue groups try to find suitable homes for unwanted or abandoned dogs, cats, and other pets, many taken from shelters where they would otherwise have been euthanized. Volunteers usually take care of the animals until they can find a permanent home. This means that rescuers are often very familiar with a pet’s personality and can help advise you on whether the pet would make a good match for your needs.

By adopting an animal from a shelter or rescue organization, you’ll not only be giving a home to a deserving pet, but you’ll also likely be saving an animal’s life.