DO THERAPY DOGS ACTUALLY LIKE THEIR JOBS?

Therapy dogs have been shown to be effective in helping with a wide range of emotional issues, from severe conditions like suicidal depression and PTSD, to more common challenges such as exam stress in university students.

In North America, there are several therapy dog organizations dedicated to supporting emotionally vulnerable individuals, offering trained dogs to help reduce stress and provide comfort. However, these groups rely on volunteers who bring their dogs to therapy sessions, and unfortunately, they are often unable to find enough volunteers to meet the growing demand.

Why Few Dogs Are Volunteered as Therapy Dogs

One reason for the shortage of volunteers may be the time commitment involved—training a dog for therapy sessions can be time-consuming, and many programs also require official certification. However, there’s another, perhaps deeper reason: many dog owners are hesitant to volunteer due to concerns about their pet’s well-being. Some firmly believe that exposing dogs to people dealing with stress and emotional turmoil could be stressful or even harmful to the dogs themselves.

Are Therapy Dogs Abused?

I was reminded of how deeply some people feel about this issue during a conversation with the deputy director of a small animal shelter here in Canada. She shared that when people come to adopt a dog, they’re required to fill out a questionnaire. One of the questions asks what role the dog will play in the adopter’s life. Specifically, it asks if the dog will be more than just a pet. She told me that if an applicant mentions the dog being used as a therapy animal, the shelter will refuse to approve the adoption.

She explained, “Forcing a dog to participate in therapy sessions is a form of animal abuse. These dogs are made to interact with people who might be emotionally unstable, radiating negative energy. Dogs are highly attuned to human emotions—they pick up on them and are affected by them. But here, the dog is expected to engage with individuals who are broadcasting their distress, and worse, they’re expected to let these people touch them.”

She continued, “In group therapy settings, dogs can find themselves in unfamiliar places with strange objects around, like wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers. They’re also surrounded by strangers, all demanding attention from the dog. What dog would want to be in that environment? To us, that’s a form of animal abuse.”

A New Study

I’ve heard these arguments before and have often wondered if such beliefs are what hold people back from letting their dogs participate in animal-assisted therapies. There have been studies examining whether therapy dogs experience stress or emotional harm in these settings, and to my knowledge, there’s no evidence to support that claim.

I shared that argument with her and then mentioned the latest study on the topic. The lead researcher was Kohoutková Kateřina from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic. While it wasn’t a particularly large study—only involving 15 dogs with extensive experience in animal-assisted interventions—it included a wide range of detailed measures, including hormonal tests and behavioural observations.

Measuring Stress in Therapy Dogs

The researchers used cortisol levels—stress hormones—as an indicator of the dogs’ emotional states. Cortisol is a well-established measure of stress, tension, and anxiety in both humans and dogs. To collect the samples, the researchers used a simple cotton swab to gather saliva from the dogs. Samples were taken on four therapy days (when the dogs participated in regular sessions) and on four control days (when there were no therapy sessions). On the control days, the samples were collected at the same times as they were on therapy days to maintain consistency. For each session, three samples were taken: one before therapy, one immediately after, and one 30 minutes later.

Additionally, the dog handlers were trained to observe and record 25 specific behaviours during the therapy sessions. These behaviours were categorized into two groups: friendly and sociable behaviours, and those indicating moderate to high stress.

Are Therapy Dogs Experiencing Stress During Therapy Sessions?

The results were clear and straightforward. Analysis of the cortisol levels revealed no significant difference in the stress levels of the dogs on therapy days compared to non-therapy days. There was no increase in the stress hormone levels either during or after the therapy sessions.

The behavioural observations during the therapy sessions also showed no significant signs of stress. About 81% of the recorded behaviours were friendly and positive, suggesting the dogs were enjoying their time. Only 3% of the behaviours fell into the high-stress category, with yawning being the most common sign, followed by a few instances of ears pinned back. Based on my own research, particularly in my book How to Speak Dog, I believe the researchers were being quite conservative in their assessments. While these can be stress signals, they typically indicate only mild stress rather than anything more intense. Still, such stress signals were rare, and the vast majority of the observed behaviours were friendly, comfortable, and sociable.

The study’s authors concluded, “Based on the results, it can be concluded that animal-assisted interventions do not impose a significant stress load on the tested dogs. They perceive their working days as just another normal day, enjoy the work, and take pleasure in it.”