Proefschrift--Utrecht. / Bibliography: p. 187-207.

The purpose of this study was to contribute an increased understanding of therapists' experiences working with therapy dogs in couple and family therapy. This qualitative study sought to describe the overall experience of therapists who work with therapy dogs in couple and family therapy, including managing the therapy dog's presence with more than one client and the benefits and challenges of doing so. Eight individuals participated in semi-structured interviews and areas of inquiry included how therapists made the decision to work with a therapy dog, how the therapy dog was managed in session, the impact of the therapy dog's presence (e.g. benefits and challenges), and recommendations for therapists who aspire to work with Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP) in their practices. The data was analyzed using transcendental phenomenology. Findings from the data analysis suggest that the majority of therapists who use CAP with couples and families find it to be beneficial for the therapists, the couples and families, and the therapy dog, with only a few challenges. Participants focused more on being flexible and observing the system's dynamics surrounding the therapy dog, whereas in individual therapy it appears that therapy dogs are included to fulfill a treatment goal or enhance a therapy model. Additionally, the majority of participants reported on the therapy dog's ability to help the therapist better understand their couple and family clients and overcome particular challenges when working with more than one client. The findings contribute to the CAP literature, have clinical implications, and provide areas for further exploration. / Master of Science / The purpose of this study was to contribute an increased understanding of therapists’ experiences working with therapy dogs in couple and family therapy. This qualitative study sought to describe the overall experience of therapists who work with therapy dogs in couple and family therapy, including managing the therapy dog’s presence with more than one client and the benefits and challenges of doing so. Eight individuals participated in semi-structured interviews and areas of inquiry included how therapists made the decision to work with a therapy dog, how the therapy dog was managed in session, the impact of the therapy dog’s presence (e.g. benefits and challenges), and recommendations for therapists who aspire to work with Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP) in their practices. The data was analyzed using transcendental phenomenology. Findings from the data analysis suggest that the majority of therapists who use CAP with couples and families find it to be beneficial for the therapists, the couples and families, and the therapy dog, with only a few challenges. Participants focused more on being flexible and observing the system’s dynamics surrounding the therapy dog, whereas in individual therapy it appears that therapy dogs are included to fulfill a treatment goal or enhance a therapy model. Additionally, the majority of participants reported on the therapy dog’s ability to help the therapist better understand their couple and family clients and overcome particular challenges when working with more than one client. The findings contribute to the CAP literature, have clinical implications, and provide areas for further exploration.

In this thesis I share stories of my journey to make meaning in my life, and explore how my relationship with dogs has helped me to overcome personal challenges. I break these experiences down into what I call my five Fs: family, faith, food, fear, and fido. After giving a history of the human-dog relationship, I extrapolate from my experiences ways in which I believe students and teachers could benefit from interactions with therapy dogs and other comfort animals within the public school day. Specifically, I examine the role dogs can play in helping students and teachers reduce stress and increase self-efficacy. I include the sample animal procedure I drafted for the school at which I teach. I also include some data from my time working with students and my dog. Written in Scholarly Personal Narrative format, I look to weave together my own realizations about anxiety, choice, and identity, with a call for others to find what self-efficacy strategies work for them to make meaning and purpose in their own lives.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has become a popular intervention for the health and behavioral community as evidenced by media attention. The research that has been done on AAT has been mostly qualitative and anecdotal. The current study adds to the literature on AAT by collecting quantitative data on AAT. A multiple baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate the independent reading duration under a baseline condition (no dog present) and a non-contingent access to dog condition (which simulated how dog therapy is typically conducted). If reading did not increase during the non-contingent dog condition, a contingent access to the dog condition was implemented to determine if the participants would engage in increased reading duration to earn access to the dog. In this study, noncontingent access to the therapy dog resulted in increased reading duration for two of the participants. One participant showed variable results in the noncontingent phase and required the introduction of the contingent dog phase, which resulted in increases in reading duration.

Animals and social work is an emerging field, and there is a troubling lack of research that has been conducted that attempts to document or explore the experiences of the animals involved in these practices. This dissertation explores the experiences of dogs working alongside social workers, using a mixed methods approach focussing on qualitative data. Data was gathered using critical ethnographic methodology involving interviews with social workers, dog owners and service users. Extensive observational field notes were taken during the use of an emerging research-creation digital method with the dogs and sensor data technologies. This research addresses three questions: (1), How can the experiences of dogs in social work be documented? (2), Why is it important to document these experiences? (3), How are dogs experiencing their involvement in social work practice? (4), What knowledge do the social workers who work with dogs have about involving these animals in social work? The data in this study isanalyzed through a critical post-humanist lens informed by decolonial Indigenous knowledges. Important themes that emerged were interspecies relationships, dog personalities and behaviourswhile working, workplaces and responsibilities, needs and benefits, training, and use of technology in research with OTH animals. Based on the innovative findings of this study, it can be determined that partial experiences of OTH animals involved in social work practice can and should be documented and explored to understand the high levels of responsibility, professionalism, and expectations that working dogs in the field are subject to. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the experiences of dogs involved in social work practice. The research addresses four questions: (1), How can the experiences of dogs in social work be documented? (2), Why is it important to document these experiences? (3), How are dogs experiencing their involvement in social work practice? (4), What knowledge do the social workers who work with dogs have about involving these animals in social work? Based on the findings, it can be determined that partial experiences of dogs involved in social work practice can and should be documented and explored to understandthe responsibility, professionalism, and expectations that working dogs are subject to.

No description available.

Research documenting the level of work-related stress among therapy dogs is limited. This research was designed to measure salivary cortisol in working therapy dogs. Certified handler/dog (Canis lupus familiaris) teams were recruited to participate from teams currently volunteering in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee area. Male and female dogs of various sizes and breeds were recruited. Ten dogs contributed fivesaliva samples. Dogs were fasted for one hour prior to procedure. Samples were collected over a continuum of events, for comparison of salivary cortisol levels in multiple environments. Samples were collected as follows: (1) sample in the dogs’ homes, (1)sample upon arrival at the “work” place, (1) sample just prior to leaving the “work” place, (1) sample just prior to being groomed and (1) sample taken at the dogs’ regular veterinarians’ offices. This design provided 1 control sample, 2 work samples, and2 samples that may be indicative of elevated stress. It was hypothesized that: 1) Salivary cortisol concentrations will be higher in samples collected during grooming and at a veterinary clinic than in samples collected at home, and 2) Salivary cortisol concentrations will be lower in samples collected during “working” conditions than in samples collected during grooming and at a veterinary clinic. Saliva was collected by placing a Salimetrics Children’s Swab (P/N 5001.06) [dimensions 8 x 125 mm] into the dog’s mouth until saturated, or less than four minutes. After examination of the descriptive statistics of (n=10) across five different environmental conditions, it was decided that one of the cases represented an outlier and was removed from data as subsequent analysis revealed a cortisol level that was more than 23 standard deviations away from the mean. Three dogs had at least one sample with insufficient quantity of saliva for analysis, and were removed from the data. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare salivary cortisol levels during different environmental conditions (pre-therapy, post-therapy, home, veterinary clinic, and groomer). There was not a significant main effect for condition, Wilks’ Lambda =.299, F (9, 2) =1.17, p=.51,multivariate partial eta squared = .70. The hypotheses were not supported. This research suggests that salivary cortisol of working therapy dogs is not significantly different than home, veterinary, or grooming conditions.

This investigation studied the impact of registered therapy dogs assigned to students in order to improve reading skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if children assigned to registered therapy dogs improve significantly in reading achievement and related school performance such as attendance and discipline when compared to students of similar characteristics not assigned to registered therapy dogs. Specifically, the study used data to ascertain whether students assigned to registered therapy dogs improved their reading skills and if these students demonstrated more or less growth than students of similar characteristics not assigned to registered therapy dogs. This study analyzed data from the Canine Assisted Reading Education (C.A.R.E. to Read) program, data collected from the teacher responses to the C.A.R.E. to Read Teacher Questionnaire, and data provided by Brevard Public School District. Repeated measures analyses and descriptive statistics clearly revealed that students assigned to registered therapy dogs demonstrated more reading growth than their peers who were not assigned to registered therapy dogs. Additionally, students assigned to the registered therapy dogs had a more positive attitude toward schoolwork, were more willing to participate in classroom activities, were more successful with higher level thinking skills, and were more self-confident after being assigned to the registered therapy dogs. Recommendations were made to address teacher training concerning classroom environment, higher level thinking skills, and identifying hesitant and resistant learners. Recommendations also were made for additional research on other uses for registered therapy dogs in the educational setting.

Children's undeveloped social, emotional, and behavioral skills have long been a concern in early childhood classrooms. Numerous studies have illuminated how therapy dogs in pedagogical settings support children's holistic development, yet there is scant data on the integration of therapy dogs into the early childhood classroom. This study was guided by the progressive education theory and the concept of the human-animal bond, which collectively lay the foundation for how young children develop critical life skills in the presence of a therapy dog. A qualitative collective case study was used to examine how 3 early childhood educators used therapy dogs and viewed the support these dogs provide for the social, emotional, and behavioral development of children. Two educators from three Indiana public schools and 1 educator from an Indiana independent early education program participated in semi-structured interviews on their use of therapy animals in early childhood classrooms. Classroom observations, children's artifacts, and researcher field notes were used to triangulate the data. A within-case analysis was conducted for each site, followed by a cross-case analysis for comparisons and generalizations. Three themes resulted: a therapy dog (a) is an innovative teaching tool; (b) supports children's social, emotional, and behavioral development; and (c) enhances children's experiences. It is expected that these findings may give program administrators and early childhood educators the mechanics of effective therapy dog practices. Knowing the mechanics of therapy dog usage in the classroom and understanding the potential outcomes for young children, administrators and educators could build on this process, develop a more effective plan for their own program, or opt out of a therapy dog program entirely.

No description available.