Therapy Dogs: What the Researching Side Says

Therapy dogs on college campuses has become a growing trend, and part of this is due to growing amount of research detailing the health benefits.
Although it may be fun to just play with dogs, having a therapy dog has been linked to health benefits like lowered blood pressure.
Kerri Rodriguez, a PhD student of human-animal interaction, studies the psychological effects of service dogs on individuals at Purdue University and says there’s a good amount of evidence pointing to the positives of dog therapy.
“We’ve been studying the effects of dogs on stress for decades,” Rodriguez said. “There is a growing body of evidence that supports the health benefits interacting with companion animals.” Companion animals are any kind of pet.
One study done at the University of Maine in spring 2015 showed a link between those being in a better mood and having a therapy dog, whereas the same positive data didn't materialize for the control group that was studied without a dog.
A different summary study of journals from 2012 also pointed towards a growing trend of positive side effects for individuals participating with dogs for stress relief.
Along with this, Rodriguez also said she hopes care for the dogs so they're staying healthy and not overwhelmed.

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