Treatments with Tails: The Healing Powers of Pet Therapy

For many people, spending time with a therapy dog or other trained animal can not only be calming but also provide other physical and mental healing benefits. Learn more about the many benefits of pet therapy.

Eric Jackson on

Girl hugging dog in hospital bed
Print 🖨 PDF 📄 eBook 📱

The unique bond between animals and people is like no other. Even simple interactions with friendly animals, such as petting a dog, can distract us from stress or anxiety. And that’s not all—pet therapy sessions with trained animals can become part of the treatment process for people with certain medical conditions. This is called animal-assisted therapy (AAT) or animal-assisted activities (AAA), and these healing tools have become more widely used at medical and long-term care facilities. 

How Pet Therapy/Animal-Assisted Therapy Works

When a health care provider decides to use AAT for a patient, the provider will set certain goals for the therapy sessions. Goals depend on the patient’s individual situation and might include:

  • Bringing comfort
  • Developing behavioral or social skills
  • Improving motor skills or movement ability
  • Motivating patients to participate in other activities, such as exercising or socializing with others
  • Reducing pain levels

The animal and its handler, who must be certified in AAT and have gone through the training process, will work under the guidance of a health care provider. During sessions, the therapy animal and the handler will do activities with the patient to help meet the goals set by the provider. The therapist can also be the handler, in which case they do not have to have an AAT certification because the animal is considered an interventional tool used by the therapist.

For example, at University of Maryland Medical System facilities, animal-assisted therapy is used as part of psychiatric occupational therapy, with therapy dogs visiting patients and helping them reach psychiatric occupational therapy goals such as reducing anxiety levels. 

Most often, the “pet therapy” you see during patient visits and hospital team members’ breaks is technically called “animal-assisted activities” performed by trained animals and volunteer handlers.

Who Can Benefit from Pet Therapy?

Therapy animals can help people of all ages with many different types of conditions, ranging from mental illness to physical conditions. Examples include:

How can pet therapy help? The many benefits include:

  • Decreasing feelings of loneliness — People in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities often feel less isolated and more connected to the world around them with regular pet therapy sessions.
  • Easing pain — Many people who receive AAT, including cancer patients going through chemotherapy and older people who have had joint replacements, experience lower perceptions of pain and increased quality of life.
  • Enhancing immune response — The simple act of petting a friendly dog can improve the body’s immune system, helping to fight infections and other ailments.
  • Helping children with ADHD — Kids with ADHD often have low self-esteem and receiving AAT can boost confidence levels.
  • Providing social support for children with autism spectrum disorder —Children often experience more positive social interactions with the help of AAT. 
  • Reducing depression and anxiety levels — Spending time with animals can help people with mental health conditions or those dealing with a difficult diagnosis experience less stress and improve their spirits. 
  • Reducing symptoms in people with PTSD — Veterans and other people who have experienced trauma can benefit greatly from AAT, as it can reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression and insomnia.

How Do Dogs Become Therapy Pets?

Any breed of dog can become a certified therapy dog. But successful dogs must possess certain traits. For example, they:

  • Adjust well to new situations and environments
  • Are gentle and friendly
  • Are well-trained and well-behaved
  • Enjoy socializing and meeting new people

If you have a dog you think would make a perfect therapy dog, you’ll need to complete several important steps. Every therapy program has its own requirements, but your dog will need to be trained and pass tests before you can begin to volunteer at facilities that participate in dog therapy. If you plan to be your dog’s handler, you’ll also need to go through training. Essentially, whoever will be the dog’s therapy partner should go through the training with the dog.

A good place to start is the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen program (CGC). Many therapy programs require CGC certification before a dog can become a therapy animal. Dogs who go through the program are certified to have good manners after passing a 10-skill test.

After passing the CGC program, the next step should be a training class for therapy dogs from an experienced dog trainer. This will help your dog learn to:

  • Ignore unexpected distractions, such as noises and sudden movements
  • Stay calm and relaxed in unfamiliar places and with new people
  • Stay focused on the handler and obey commands

Next, it’s time to research and choose an official AAT/AAA organization, such as Pets on Wheels or Pet Partners. You might want to learn about a few different organizations to find the best fit for you and your dog. Once you have decided, learn about the health requirements, and take your dog to the vet for a full checkup and to get any needed vaccinations or testing.

Finally, after meeting all the requirements, you and your dog will need to pass a final test (or a series of tests) before you become certified. While it can be a challenging process, after you and your dog pass, you’ll be able to start making a difference in people’s lives by beginning your journey in pet therapy together.

More to Read

Do you wonder if you would benefit from pet therapy?

Talk to a University of Maryland Medical System expert today.

Find a Provider

Medically reviewed by Pooja Bhatnagar, MS, OTR/L.

Posted by Eric Jackson

All Posts