Dogs have long been known to assist humans in achieving important objectives in a variety of ways. This is clear from our earliest interactions, when avoiding predators and finding food were our shared goals, to our more recent inclusion of dogs in a range of settings, like therapeutic and educational ones. In order to contextualize the existing research on a wide range of contexts and populations where dogs have been used as an adjunct or complementary therapy to enhance some aspect of human health and well-being, this paper draws on a well-established theoretical framework known as the biopsychosocial model. Within important subject areas like cognition, learning disorders, neurotypical and neurodiverse populations, mental and physical health, and disabilities, a variety of evidence is taken into consideration. To organize and discuss the results, think about how potential mechanisms of action might affect general human health and well-being, and frame and direct future research questions and investigations, we use a dynamic version of the biopsychosocial model.
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS article Front. Vet. Sc, 30 March 2021 Sec. Veterinary Humanities and Social Sciences
Dogs have long been known to assist humans in achieving important objectives in a variety of ways. This is clear from our earliest interactions, when avoiding predators and finding food were our shared goals, to our more recent inclusion of dogs in a range of settings, like therapeutic and educational ones. In order to contextualize the existing research on a wide range of contexts and populations where dogs have been used as an adjunct or complementary therapy to enhance some aspect of human health and well-being, this paper draws on a well-established theoretical framework known as the biopsychosocial model. Within important subject areas like cognition, learning disorders, neurotypical and neurodiverse populations, mental and physical health, and disabilities, a variety of evidence is taken into consideration. To organize and discuss the results, think about how potential mechanisms of action might affect general human health and well-being, and frame and direct future research questions and investigations, we use a dynamic version of the biopsychosocial model.
Introduction – A Historical Perspective on Dog-Human Relationships
The modern relationship between humans and dogs is undoubtedly unique. Dogs have a shared evolutionary history that dates back tens of thousands of years (1), and as man’s best friend, they have occupied a special place in our lives. Dogs have mastered human socialization through domestication and natural selection processes. For instance, studies have shown that dogs are perceptive to our emotional states and social cues (3) and that they can communicate with us through complex cues like gaze alternation (4). Dogs and people can develop complex attachment relationships that resemble those between a child and a caregiver (5).
In todays society, dog companionship is widely prevalent worldwide. There are 63 million dog-owning households in the US, and the majority of them see their dog as a member of the family (6). Dogs have become more common in applications to help people with disabilities as assistance dogs, in addition to living in our homes. In Germany and the United States, formal training of dogs as assistance animals began during and after World War I, especially for people with visual impairments (7). After World War II, the prevalence of formal training for other roles—such as mobility and hearing assistance—started to rise. Over the years, the functions of assistance dogs have grown to include helping people with a wide range of disabilities and illnesses, including mental health disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and medical conditions like epilepsy and diabetes. In addition, society has witnessed an increase in the use of dogs for working purposes such as protection, herding, hunting, and detection (8, 9).
In addition to these employment-related roles, dogs have also been helpful in assisting people in other therapeutic contexts. Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) started to develop in the early 1960s thanks to the ground-breaking work of Boris Levinson, Elizabeth OLeary Corson, and Samuel Corson. Levinson, a child psychologist who has been in practice since the 1950s, noticed that a nonverbal and reclusive child started interacting with his dog, Jingles, in an unplanned interaction during therapy. Levinson’s groundbreaking work in laying the groundwork for AAI as a treatment adjunct was motivated by this experience (10) Samuel and Elizabeth Corson were among the first researchers to empirically research canine-assisted interventions in the 1970s. They unintentionally discovered, like Levinson, that some of their patients with psychiatric disorders showed an interest in the dogs and that, when around the dogs, their patients with psychiatric disorders were able to communicate with one another and the staff more easily (11, 12). Therapy dogs have been discovered to support people with a variety of needs in a variety of settings over the ensuing decades (13)
It turns out that dogs on our planet assist scientists, according to Carr. They sniff out animal waste to assist researchers in learning more about various species. The DNA found in an animal’s waste can teach us a lot. To help us learn more about the whales, some dogs search for orca poop that floats in the water.
“People are important to dogs, too,” she said. “It is a relationship that goes both ways. ”.
Dogs can also help humans navigate their world. They help guide people who have lost their sight. They assist people who have diabetes or seizures. A lot of service dogs can sense when something is wrong and alert their owners. Some of them can even open fridges and bring food to their human.
Ever since then, dogs have had all kinds of jobs. They are employed by farms where they patrol the property and round up animals like sheep and cows. Dogs also provide humans with company. Even just petting a dog can alter a person’s physical state.
Wolves used to follow humans on hunting expeditions and consume any leftovers they could find in the past. These wolves eventually turned into dogs that aided in defending the hunters and gatherers.
FAQ
What dog can help people?
- Labradors (American and English)
- Golden Retrievers.
- German Shepherds.
- Poodles.
- Boxers.
- Great Danes.
- Border Collies.
- Bernese Mountain Dogs.
What are 3 benefits of having a dog?
- Dogs make us feel less alone. …
- Dogs are good for your heart. …
- Dogs help you stop stressing out. …
- Dogs help us cope with crisis. …
- Dogs encourage you to move. …
- Dogs make you more attractive—even virtually. …
- Dogs make us more social. …
- Dogs are so adorable they make us love them.
Do dogs try to help you?
And a recent study suggests that your pet dog might be eager to assist. Previous studies have demonstrated that when people cry, their dogs also experience distress. According to a recent study, dogs not only become distressed when they see their owners in distress but also attempt to provide comfort.
What are 5 good reasons to get a dog?
- A dog will clean up your kitchen floor. Dogs are like built-in vacuum cleaners.
- A dog is the perfect exercise partner. …
- A dog is a great primer for parenthood. …
- You may feel safer in your own home if you have a dog.
- A dog will be utterly devoted to you and your household.