Benefits:

Therapy dogs are pets that improve your health by giving emotional support. Therapy dogs live in people’s homes. They can also visit a variety of settings, including retirement or nursing homes, schools and colleges, hospice homes, and hospitals. They are trained to be gentle and friendly and to accept strangers hugging them or petting them.

Therapy dogs are sometimes called “comfort dogs.” They support a person’s mental health by providing attention and comfort. Their sweet demeanours and unconditional love may have a therapeutic benefit to those who face difficult health challenges.

Some mental health challenges and psychiatric disorders are known to respond well to therapy dogs. Patients diagnosed with a range of issues, such as depression, bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Alzheimer’s disease, benefit from their interaction with therapy dogs and other companion animals.

Sometimes, emotional challenges are the result of physical health problems, and therapy dogs can help with those too.

Research suggests that patients who are recovering from difficult surgery or a bad accident who participate in animal-assisted therapy may feel less pain. Studies have shown that such interactions can increase the mood-boosting hormone oxytocin and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.