Wednesday, April 13, 2022
In an emergency, you may want to see Dr. Dog.
More than 20 years ago, Sandra Barker started one of the first therapy-dog programs in hospitals. At the time, she worked at Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, in Richmond, Va.
Hurt, A. E. (2022, April 13). In an emergency, you may want to see Dr. Dog. Science News Direct. https://www.snexplores.org/article/therapy-dog-reduces-pain-anxiety-emergency-room
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Dentist’s adorable dog snuggles up to calm down anxious patients: ‘He’s such a good boy’.
Gee pointed out that evidence found in studies suggests spending just five to 20 minutes with a four-legged friend can drop levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people.
Steinberg, B. (2024, February 2). Dentist’s adorable dog snuggles up to calm down anxious patients: ‘He’s such a good boy’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/02/02/lifestyle/dentists-adorable-dog-snuggles-up-to-calm-down-anxious-patients-hes-such-a-good-boy/
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Recognizing and mitigating canine stress during animal assisted interventions.
This article focuses specifically on dogs, highlighting factors that may lead handlers and therapists to miss or ignore canine stress signals during human-animal interactions and offers strategies to recognize and ameliorate dogs’ distress more consistently. The primary goals of this discussion are to summarize the current thinking on canine well-being and to highlight practical applications of animal welfare principles in real-world AAI settings.
Townsend, L., & Gee, N. R. (2021). Recognizing and mitigating canine stress during animal assisted interventions. Veterinary Sciences, 8(11), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8110254
Monday, September 6, 2021
Even more reasons to love your dog: Better thinking, reduced stress and happier work.
A study by Virginia Commonwealth University found when dogs were present in the workplace, people got to know each other and had more conversations based on the four-legged visitors.
Brower, T. (2021, September 6). Even more reasons to love your dog: Better thinking, reduced stress and happier work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/06/even-more-reasons-to-love-your-dog-reduced-stress-and-happier-work/
Monday, August 9, 2021
Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: A mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This research examined the influence of companion animals, and specifically ornamental fishes, on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic.
Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Gee, N. R., Snellgrove, D., & Sloman, K. A. (2021). Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: A mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Animals, 11(8), 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082349