Canine therapy growing trend in U.S.
Posted December 21, 2010 6:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s a growing trend among therapists in the United States, bringing their dogs to work.
A small but growing number of psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers are using canine therapy assistants to help calm patients down, cheer them up or offer a distraction, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Therapists can’t hug their patients, but the patients can hug his dog if they need physical comfort, Manhattan psychiatrist Drew Ramsey told the paper.
A few of his patients actually feel more comfortable talking to his four-year-old shih tzu dog, he said.
Research shows that a few minutes of stroking a pet dog decreases stress and increases hormones that govern nurturing and security in the body, in both the human and the dog.
