Therapy dogs are increasingly being incorporated into numerous clinical settings. However, there are only a handful of studies that have focused on the impact of animal-assisted activity or therapy sessions on the wellbeing of the therapy dogs. Furthermore, these studies show mixed results. The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth picture of the effects of these interactions on the dogs involved by considering multiple physiological measures known to be associated with emotional state (continuous heart rate, heart rate variability, pre- and post-session tympanic membrane temperatures, and salivary cortisol and oxytocin concentrations). Nineteen Mayo Clinic Caring Canine therapy dogs completed five 20-minute animal-assisted activity (AAA) visits each in an outpatient clinical setting (Mayo Clinic Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Clinic). From a physiological perspective, the dogs showed a neutral to positive response to the AAA sessions. Heart rate (HR) was significantly lower at the end of the session compared with the beginning of the session (F = 17.26, df1 = 1, df2 = 29.7, p = 0.0003). The right tympanic membrane temperature was lower post-session (F = 8.87, df1 = 1, df2 = 107, p = 0.003). All other emotional indicators remained stable between pre- and post-session. These results suggest that the dogs involved were not negatively affected by their participation in the AAA. Moreover, there was some evidence suggesting the dogs may have been in a more relaxed state at the end of the session (lower HR and lower right tympanic membrane temperature) compared to the beginning of the session.

Therapy dogs provide health benefits for individuals who suffer from illnesses, such as dementia, depression, loneliness, and aggression. Therapy dogs’ impact on human health has been thoroughly studied; however, studies on dog welfare have been limited. The body language of dogs is poorly understood and can lead to dog owner-directed aggressive. Communication plays a vital role to be a cohesive therapy team. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived stress and cortisol concentrations in therapy dogs and their handlers during the first three onboarding visits in a hospital setting. Moreover, the study aimed to investigate if, while in an over-stimulating environment, a therapy dog handler can observe their dog’s body language and correlate such observations to their dog’s stress. Nine therapy dog teams from Mayo Clinic’s Caring Canine Program volunteered for this study. A baseline salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog each day of the visits. Once the team arrived, a pre-visit salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog and afterwards, a post-visit salivary cortisol. Handlers were also asked to fill out a perceived stress survey on their stress and their therapy dog’s. Behavior was documented by a staff member and the handler. For each visit, the therapy dogs were at the hospital on average 47 minutes and visited with 9 people. There was significant correlation (P = 0.02) between the owner’s perceived stress of their therapy dog and the dog’s salivary cortisol concentrations. The handlers noted medium to high stress and those dogs had higher cortisol concentrations post-visit. There was no significant difference in salivary cortisol for the handler and therapy dog over the course of the three visits and comparing pre- and post-visit. Overall the dogs displayed mixed behaviors with the three most reported being panting, lip licking, and yawning. Results suggest that the handlers and therapy dogs maintained their welfare state throughout the visits and throughout the onboarding process.