How therapy dogs are helping to calm students’ stress

On campus, there is a program called the PAWS Your Stress Therapy Dog Program, which is offered by a wonderful team of students, researchers, professionals and, of course, volunteer therapy dogs and their handlers. Through frequent visits to campus, this initiative helps improve the mental health and wellness of students, faculty and staff.

The PAWS Your Stress Therapy Dog Program was first formed in 2013 by the Office of the Centennial Enhancement Chair in One Health and Wellness at USask. Today, it’s offered in partnership with Peer Health, the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program and the PAWSitive Connections Lab. 

The PAWSitive Connections Lab is run by Dr. Colleen Dell, Dr. Darlene Chalmers and Dr. Linzi Williamson. Their lab focuses on exploring interactions between animals and people, with an emphasis on the benefits that relationships with animals can have for those who are recovering from addictions or struggling with their mental health. Dell takes care to put the word “animals” before “people” when referencing the two together (e.g. “animals and people”) in order to counteract the subordinate role of animals in society.

The Program

The PAWS Your Stress Program is working towards creating a space that can help students adjust to the changes that come with beginning university, teach  how to effectively process stress and emotions during times of high stress and comfort the many students who come from different provinces or countries who may have had to leave their furry friends behind at home. 

These teams of dogs and handlers drop by various locations around campus, libraries, student lounges and study spaces to give students the chance to pause, pet and connect. No appointments are needed, and all are welcome.

All of the dogs who visit campus, as well as their handlers, have undergone training and assessments with the St. John Ambulance, ensuring that the dogs who come to campus are effective at calming down and assisting the people who come to visit. Many of the same dogs who visit campus also visit hospitals, senior residences, care facilities, community centres, libraries and vaccination clinics to help support the people in those locations as well. 

What are Therapy Dogs and what do they do?

Therapy dogs are trained to provide affection and emotional comfort to those other than their owners. These dogs will often visit a variety of places to assist individuals in remaining calm in stressful environments, such as hospitals or universities.

These dogs are distinct from service dogs and emotional support animals. Service dogs are typically designated for people who have physical or mental disabilities, and are trained to help these individuals through their everyday lives. The most common examples of service dogs are guide dogs for the visually impaired or dogs that can sense physiological changes in a person with a health condition; for example, some dogs can notify owners with diabetes of low or high blood sugar.. Service dogs, unlike therapy dogs, are allowed in all public spaces, regardless of any restrictions against having animals within that space. 

Emotional support animals are designated to help calm the emotional state of one particular person, their owner. Therapy dogs provide this comfort to many individuals, rather than just one, and have undergone training in order to do this job. Emotional support animals do not require training and registration, and are not entitled to be allowed into public spaces. However, under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, landlords are required to make accommodations to allow emotional support animals if the owner has a doctor’s letter. 

What is the science behind therapy dogs?

While the idea of cuddling a dog might sound like just a pleasant distraction, the benefits of animal-assisted interventions are well-documented in research. Studies at USask and beyond have shown that spending time with therapy dogs can lower cortisol (a stress hormone), increase oxytocin (the “bonding” hormone) and improve overall well-being.

Research also suggests that dogs are sensitive to our emotional states and social gestures, and are capable of communicating with humans by using complex behavioural cues such as gaze alternation, which refers to a behavior where dogs will look between a person and an object to indicate meaning. In addition to this, dogs are able to form attachments and relationships with humans. These are all reasons why dogs are really quite amazing as service animals, emotional support animals and therapy dogs.

There are even quantifiable physical effects that therapy dogs can have in reducing pain. One study done by Dell found that by bringing therapy dogs into emergency rooms, 43 per cent of patients reported a decrease in pain. In addition to this, 48 per cent of patients reported a decrease in anxiety, 46 per cent reported a decrease in their levels of depression and 41 per cent reported an improvement in their overall well-being. This study shows how significant an impact therapy dogs can have on the lives of humans, both in and outside of an academic setting.

Things to consider when attending the events

Aliya Khalid, the coordinator for the PAWS Your Stress Program, emphasized how beneficial the program can be for students, faculty and staff and discussed some unexpected ways that therapy dogs can benefit visitors of events.

For example, Khalid spoke of how visits with therapy dogs can help individuals who have fears surrounding dogs to overcome their anxiety. The therapy dogs don’t jump and are used to being very gentle with visitors. Because of this, many individuals who have had bad experiences with dogs in the past can work past their fears by meeting these very calm and sweet dogs.

She also emphasized how important it is to also be considerate of the needs of the therapy dogs during these visits as well. She mentioned that, while students and faculty indeed get a lot out of the program—with over 275 attendees at their last two events—it is important to understand that the dogs are sentient beings. They are silly and have their own personalities, and this is an important fact to consider when visiting with them.

Khalid mentioned as well that there are some steps you can take to ensure the safety of the dogs when visiting with them, such as sanitizing your hands and telling the handler of the therapy dog if this is your first time attending one of their visits, so they can facilitate the interaction. These dogs and their handlers should be seen as partners along the path to wellness. 

How to get involved

The program is always looking for new volunteers and certified therapy dogs. Interested dog owners can contact the PAWS Your Stress team to learn more about the requirements. Dogs must love people, be well-socialized and pass screening through St. John Ambulance’s therapy dog certification process.

Students and staff who want to visit the dogs and participate don’t need to register; simply show up at a scheduled visit, take a break and enjoy a few minutes of furry companionship. For those studying remotely, virtual therapy dog visits remain available online, offering a comforting connection from afar.

As of Nov. 6, the therapy dogs are  done for the Fall, but keep an eye on the @usasklibrary Instagram for any posts on when they will be back. In the meantime, there are always online visits and resources on their website, so you always have the opportunity to get some puppy time if and when you need it.