Therapy Dogs & Therapy Animals: When Are They Used & How Do They Help?

What Are Therapy Dogs?

The American Kennel Club (AKC) defines therapy dogs and animals as those who team up with a handler—usually, but not always, their owner— to reach out to people in need of extra support and companionship to enhance their quality of life.² Therapy animals help individuals with specific mental health problems by participating in animal-assisted activities to bring a sense of joy or companionship.³

These animals allow themselves to be rubbed, brushed, and cuddled. They are trained to stay with someone and listen attentively during the interaction, providing a quiet but powerful non-judgmental audience in a way that other humans often don’t.

Therapy dogs help people relax and feel calm by interacting with those experiencing conditions like mental health difficulties, chronic pain, or loneliness. These animals respond with love and affection, thus providing tremendous comfort, emotional support, and unconditional acceptance.⁴

Research suggests people experience positive physiological changes when interacting with therapy animals.⁵ Notable changes include increased endorphins and decreased stress hormones, like norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol. This emotional boost happens because the positive interaction directly impacts activity throughout the brain and body. As a result, people have reported decreased pain, fatigue, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.³

Who Could Benefit From a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs also help many different people facing a wide variety of challenges.^4,6 For example, some research indicates therapy dogs can be especially beneficial for autistic children. These animals helped improve attention, positive social interactions, and communication skills. Children were also more playful and relaxed with their therapists, reducing negative behaviors like aggression, withdrawal, and self-absorption.⁷

However, everyone can benefit from therapy dogs, not just individuals with mental or physical conditions. One study found that college students who spent time with a therapy dog before finals reported significantly reduced stress and anxiety.⁸

Therapy dogs may help individuals with:^4,6

• Major depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Eating disorders
• Substance use
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
• Chronic pain

Can Other Animals Provide Assistance?

Not everyone enjoys the company of dogs. Some people are afraid of dogs, while others may be allergic to them. Therefore, other animals can and do become trained to be therapy animals.

Like dogs, these animals are caring and comforting. Even animals that people cannot cuddle, such as birds, can provide benefits. For instance, parrots can help veterans living with PTSD.¹¹ Caring for animals and birds helps ease symptoms of PTSD and other disorders by fostering a sense of connection with another living thing. Whatever the animal, people benefit from therapy animals. Dogs and other animals form strong bonds and powerful connections that foster healing.

Service animals commonly used in therapeutic settings include:⁹

• Cats
• Rabbits
• Guinea pigs
• Horses (equine therapy)¹⁰
• Reptiles
• Birds

Therapy Dogs Vs. Emotional Support Animals Vs. Service Dogs

Therapy animals are not the only option. People also use and benefit from service dogs and emotional support animals. All are considered to be assistance animals, but the nature of the help they give varies greatly.¹²

Therapy Animals

Therapy animals are part of a process to promote relaxation, whether in individual counseling or group care. Therapy animals must undergo a certification process before they can interact with people in a therapeutic role. Unlike service animals and ESAs, therapy animals aren’t allowed to accompany their owners into restaurants, stores, or other public places, and no legal accommodations (such as waived housing restrictions or airline privileges) are given to therapy animals.

Therapy dogs and other animals are the only types of animal assistants that work with people other than their owners. They are part of a team (owner and animal) that intentionally seeks out people who need extra therapeutic support and offer comfort, connection, and healing.

Service Animals

Service animals are highly trained to perform specific tasks for someone with any physical, sensory, psychiatric, or intellectual disability.¹² For example, service dogs help blind people navigate the world, assist in maintaining safety during seizures, or prevent or interrupt destructive or impulsive actions.

Service dogs for depression can disrupt self-harm behaviors by laying on their owner or bringing a toy. Because they are necessary to survival, service animals are allowed to go anywhere their owner goes and have legal protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).¹²

Service dogs for anxiety can detect signs fo a panic attack before it happens, lead you to a safe place to sit down, and alert the owner about blood sugar or blood pressure emergencies, among other things.

Emotional Support Animals

An ESA is an animal that provides emotional support to its owner. No training is needed for an animal to be considered an ESA, and any type can become an ESA.¹² In fact, every pet owner likely asserts their beloved creature provides a great deal of caring and support. Beyond this, an ESA can be certified with a simple letter written by a mental health professional, such as a licensed therapist.¹³

Possession of such a letter does not always allow you to take your ESA with you in public places. Unlike service animals, they are not specifically trained for special tasks. Some legal protection is offered to ESAs, including the Air Carrier Access Act (which mandates that certain ESAs be allowed to accompany travelers on planes).¹³

The Fair Housing Act (which prohibits landlords from denying housing to someone with a designated Assistance animal) has been considered by some to extend protection to ESAs. However, this Act states an Assistance animal is not a pet and is useful for ESA letter-holders mainly when the emotional support is needed based on a disability.¹⁴

Can I Train My Dog to Become a Therapy Dog?

You can go through train and certify your dog to work in this capacity if you would like to use them to help others deal with life challenges. Your pet qualifies if it meets certain criteria before training, such as basic obedience training.¹⁵ Once your pet meets these criteria, the next step is to participate in a special certification program.

A therapy animal must possess the following qualities to be considered for training:

• Well-trained to obey basic commands
• Well-socialized and accustomed to people
• Able to adjust smoothly to a variety of environments
• Calm even in situations that are noisy and involve a lot of movement
• Focused and attentive despite distractions

Therapy Dog Certification Requirements

Many places require proof of certification before therapy dogs can visit and interact with patients, residents, and clients. For example, they may request authentic certifications from programs such as The American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, Pet Partners, Therapy Dogs International, or local organizations. These programs are rigorous and prepare animals to provide genuine therapeutic assistance and refrain from agitating or harming vulnerable people.

Once your pet has passed their certification program, a few more steps are needed before becoming fully eligible for therapeutic work:^1,15 You must obtain a health check and approval from a veterinarian to prove that your pet is healthy, has the proper vaccinations, and other treatments are current. Next, your animal will be screened to ensure they are good with people. Once your dog or other pet has been officially certified, you can start taking them places to help people.

Where Can I Take My Therapy Dog?

Sometimes, therapy dogs are used in individual psychotherapy sessions. However, you won’t be allowed to do this with your dog unless you are a therapist and are using animal-assisted therapy with your own clients.  Still, many places welcome volunteers with therapy dogs to visit on a regular basis to comfort clients and enhance their wellbeing.

Prior approval is needed before visiting places with a therapy animal. Some settings advertise they are looking for volunteers with therapy dogs. Alternately, you can visit a facility to inquire about visiting with your certified therapy dog. Many of these places welcome people and animals who genuinely care and want to help others improve their well-being.

Some common places people take their therapy animals:¹

• Schools
• Nursing homes
• Schools
• Detention centers
• Disaster areas

Criticisms of Therapy Dogs & Other Therapy Animals

As beneficial as therapy animals can be, not everyone is open to them. Hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities are naturally concerned about cleanliness. Everything in the environment must be sanitary, especially with vulnerable populations such as the elderly or people who are ill.

Safety is also a concern. Even extremely well-trained and certified animals can become aggressive when provoked. Some individuals may have had bad experiences with dogs or other animals, and the presence of a therapeutic animal can increase stress and other symptoms. As long as each individual has an option to opt out of participation in animal visits, therapy dogs and their handlers are often welcomed.

Final Thoughts

Therapy dogs and other animals work for a very specific and intentional purpose. They help ease the symptoms of mental health disorders, alleviate chronic pain, and create feelings of happiness and connectedness among people who are struggling. In so doing, they offer a tremendous humanitarian service.