Dogs for Children With Emotional Issues

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an alternative type of treatment that may be applied to children with emotional issues to facilitate positive changes in their behavior. AAT may improve physical, social, emotional and cognitive functioning. Exposing children with emotional issues to therapy dogs may have a positive effect on them and improve the way they relate to the world. Dogs improve their confidence and may reduce depression or anxiety.

  1. Therapy Dogs

    • Therapy dogs are selected based on their temperament and trainability. These dogs belong to volunteers, who offer their time and pets to help children that need animal-assisted therapy. National organizations, such as Therapy Dogs International, assess potential candidates and select and train the ones suitable for assisting children or people. Therapy dogs may be of any breed, as long as they are properly trained and meet the selection criteria for therapy animals. A therapy dog must be healthy, outgoing and friendly, and shouldn't be aggressive toward other canines or humans.

    How AAT Works

    • Volunteers from various animal-assisted therapy organizations bring their dogs to hospitals, schools, detention homes, libraries or other facilities where children with emotional issues are being treated. The children are encouraged to interact and play with the dogs. This is called therapeutic contact. Even if they may be shy or fearful at first, the children typically enjoy the contact. The children are exposed to this treatment periodically, and are able to bond with a particular dog or several pets. Parents may consider getting a therapy dog for their child with emotional issues.

    Effects of Dogs on Children With Emotional Issues

    • Children exposed to therapy dogs may find emotional support in these pets, because they foster feelings of safety and acceptance. Dogs have a calming effect on people, and may also reduce anxiety, fatigue and depression, according to Therapy Dogs United's website. Children with emotional issues relate easier to dogs than to humans, because they don't feel that a dog is a threat or judges them in any way. Being around dogs makes the children less self-conscious or embarrassed. Therapy dogs provide a sense of comfort and companionship. The interaction with therapy dogs may also boost the confidence of children with emotional issues.

    Additional Benefits of Animal Assisted Activity

    • Animal-assisted therapy can have additional benefits, such as reinforcing learning, motivating speech, stimulating exercise and movement, inspiring positive social behaviors and altering extremes in a healthy direction, according to Intermountain Therapy Animals website. These are aspects that should be developed in children with emotional issues and may help in the healing process.