Therapy Dogs & Service Dogs For Mental Health
Psychiatric assistance dogs (PADs), also known as therapy dogs, are used to help people with mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and others to manage their symptoms and handle other associated challenges. Therapy dogs are professionally trained by a dog handler and certified to provide therapy sessions, comfort, and support as well as to perform other helpful tasks (i.e., retrieving medication for anxiety attacks, distracting the individual from damaging behaviors, etc.).
What is the history of therapy dogs?
Therapy dogs and other therapy animals have been used at least since the 1600s, when the staff at an English Quaker health retreat encouraged their patients with mental health conditions to interact with the animals they kept there. Interacting with dogs, cats, horses, and pigs, even for just a few minutes, was found to be cathartic to the individuals at this retreat who were experiencing mental health concerns. A therapy dog was recognized for their ability to provide emotional support and comfort, helping people cope with various mental health challenges.
Which conditions might someone have therapy dogs or animals for?
Typically, only humans with serious mental health disorders can qualify for a service dog, sometimes called therapy dogs. These service animals need to be approved by their medical doctor to be covered by insurance. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, bipolar, autism, agoraphobia, and anxiety are just a few examples of the kind of mental health conditions that a patient with a therapy dog may have. The role of a therapy dog in supporting these patients is essential in helping them cope with their conditions.
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines service dogs as: “service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” These service dogs need to be approved by a medical doctor to be covered by insurance.
What are some different kinds of animal-assisted therapy?
There are several different kinds of animal-assisted therapy that these patients can choose from if having an individually trained service dog or therapy dog is not an option for them. Some trained therapy dogs accompany their handlers to nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and therapy sessions to provide emotional support to the patients. These therapy dogs are called “comfort dogs”.
The difference between therapy dogs and emotional support dogs is how many people they work with. An emotional support animal typically helps one individual, whereas therapy dogs work with multiple people in different settings such as hospitals, schools (especially during stressful times, such as finals week), or disaster areas. A therapy dog often plays an essential role in emotional recovery in these settings, offering calm and comfort to those in need. The Alliance of Therapy Dogs is a certification program for therapy dogs. The benefits of therapy dogs may include improved mood, increased self-esteem, and decreased depression. Having a therapy dog nearby can provide not just emotional support but also a sense of safety and well-being, contributing to the overall therapeutic experience.
How psychiatric assistance animals can help
Psychiatric assistance animals and therapy dogs may have many positive effects on the well being of their owners. Good therapy dogs may be able to drastically improve the quality of life for someone living with a mental health condition. The therapeutic benefits of PAGs are still being studied, but here are a few of the suspected health benefits of psychiatric assistance animals:
- A therapy dog can perform room searches and safety checks, offering reassurance to individuals who feel unsafe in their surroundings.
- A therapy dog can remind their handler to take medication
- A therapy dog can interrupt acts of self-harm.
- A therapy dog can turn lights off and on.
- A therapy dog and service animals can protect disoriented individuals from dangers.
- A therapy dog and other psychiatric assistance animals can distract the handler during moments of anxiety.
- A therapy dog can alert others for help.
Other ways to get support for mental health conditions
Therapy dogs may not be an option for everyone. Not all individuals can afford, accommodate, or care for therapy dogs or the training these dogs require. In addition, the symptoms of some mental health conditions may not be meaningfully improved by the presence of a pet, even trained therapy dogs. For some people, having a dog adds responsibility and stress rather than providing relief. That said, there are other ways to receive helpful mental healthcare. Meeting with a qualified therapist in therapy is one that’s both common and highly effective, and is typically recommended even for those who also have therapy dogs.
Research suggests that speaking with a therapist online can offer similar benefits to speaking with a therapist in person in many cases. One study found that online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) “allows treatment of patients with many different psychiatric conditions at a lower cost than traditional CBT”. Online therapy also represents a more available option for those who aren’t able to locate a therapist in their local area or who have trouble getting to therapy sessions regularly for any reason. For those interested in virtual therapy, a therapy platform like BetterHelp may be worth considering. You can get matched with a licensed therapist whom you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or online chat to address the mental health challenges you may be facing.
Takeaway
What is the best dog for a service animal?
There are different types of service animals including companion animals, facility therapy dogs, service dogs that provide support in specific tasks, and emotional support dogs, and some dogs may be better suited to certain jobs than others. However, there are several dog breeds that typically do well in a service capacity. These dogs include:
- Golden retrievers
- Labrador retrievers
- German shepherds
- Boxers
- Poodles
What do service dogs do?
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs perform specific tasks related to a person’s disability. This can include things like:
- Track non-verbal children who tend to wander
- Detect low blood-pressure, low blood-sugar, pain, or seizure activity and alert others
- Vision assist guidance
- Hearing assist guidance
- Emotional support
How do I make my dog a service animal?
Many organizations train rescue dogs and household pets as support animals. A service animal or dog needs appropriate training for certification, and you may work through one of these organizations to select and train your dog. Not all dogs will pass the training for certain tasks, but may become, for example, therapy dogs rather than guide dogs for the blind.
Is it OK to pet a service animal?
Petting service animals or therapy dogs is never okay without explicit permission from the dogs' owner. When these dogs are in public places and wearing their vest, they are considered “on duty” and should not be distracted from their job.
What breeds are the best therapy dogs for anxiety and depression?
Larger dog breeds with cheerful dispositions can be good therapy dogs for anxiety and depression. These therapy dogs' size can offer comforting pressure during times of high anxiety, and energy for walks to help their owner get outside and exercise more often. A well-trained therapy dog can also provide emotional support during difficult moments, helping to calm and stabilize their owner’s mood.
Do animals help with anxiety and depression?
Yes, service dogs and therapy dogs can offer psychiatric services. They may make their owners and family feel safe in their home, sense when a panic attack is starting and use distraction tactics, and bring smiles and a sense of purpose to someone who may be experiencing depressive symptoms. A service dog, specifically trained, can also help by providing emotional support and comfort during difficult times. Many people find that the presence of their dog during challenging moments offers a calming influence.
Difference between therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, and service dogs?
Service dogs are dogs that are specially trained to offer specific services to people with disabilities, and are protected under the ADA. These service dogs receive rigorous training and must get along well with people, other dogs and household pets, and be incredibly focused. Emotional support dogs and therapy dogs are also trained, but not certified and have similar jobs; comforting and offering emotional support to their humans. However, an emotional support dog is trained to support one person, while therapy dogs work with groups of people. There are three therapy dogs categories: therapeutic visitation, animal assisted therapy, and facility therapy dog.
What skills do service animals need?
Dogs that are trained to be service animals should have some common character traits that make them desirable to a therapy dog program. Ideal therapy dogs have a calm demeanor, are good around other animals, especially small animals, love people, have a cheerful temperament, and are not frightened or aggressive around strangers. A therapy dog should also be able to remain focused and calm even in distracting environments. In addition, a dog that is a service animal must have the ability to quickly respond to commands and offer comfort to its handler during stressful situations.
How do I train my emotional support dog for anxiety?
To train a dog for emotional support, you can contact one of many organizations that offers emotional support training for puppies and young dogs. It’s also important to ensure your dog develops strong bonding skills with you so they can respond effectively to your needs during anxiety episodes. A well-trained dog can learn to recognize when you're feeling anxious and offer comfort by staying close to you or providing gentle nudges.
Why do hospitals and nursing homes use emotional support animals?
Animal assisted activities are common in healthcare facilities as well as other facilities: long term care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and even educational settings like elementary schools. Most therapy dogs are popular with children and adults alike, so a visit for a therapy dog can be an effective emotional support. Some people with Alzheimer’s Disease show improvement in both mood and cognition when playing with a therapy dog. Schools may use these therapy dogs to provide support during testing time, or to help a child who is having behavioral problems.
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