Background and objectives: Canine-assisted therapy has been receiving growing attention as a means of aiding children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, only limited studies have been done and a great deal of literature related to this intervention is anecdotal. The present study aims at providing additional quantitative evidence on the potential of dogs to positively modulate the behavior of children with ASD. Settings/location, subjects, and interventions: A 12-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD was exposed, at his usual treatment location (the Portuguese Association for Developmental Disorders and Autism at Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal), to the following treatment conditions: (1) one-to-one structured activities with a therapist assisted by a certified therapy dog, and (2) one-to-one structured activities with the same therapist alone (as a control). To accurately assess differences in the behavior of the participant between these treatment conditions, the therapist followed a strict research protocol. The behavior of the participant was continuously video-recorded during both treatment conditions for further analysis and comparison. Treatment outcomes: In the presence of the dog, the participant exhibited more frequent and longer durations of positive behaviors (such as smiling and positive physical contacting) as well as less frequent and shorter durations of negative behaviors (such as aggressive manifestations). Conclusions: These findings are in accordance with previous experimental work and provide additional support for the assertion that dogs can prime autistic children for therapy. Ultimately, this study may contribute toward a change for full acceptance of canine-assisted therapy programs within the medical milieu. Additional studies using a similar research protocol on more autistic children will certainly help professionals to work on the most effective methods to individually serve this population through canine-assisted interventions.

Empathy has long attracted the attention of philosophers and psychologists, and more recently, of evolutionary biologists. Interestingly, studies suggest that empathy is a phylogenetically continuous phenomenon, ranging across animals from automatic emotional activation in response to the emotions of others, to perspective-taking that becomes increasingly complex with increasing brain size. Although suggestions have been made that the domestic dog may have the capacity to empathize with humans, no discussion has yet addressed the topic, nor have experimental routes been proposed to further explore the level of emotional and cognitive processing underlying dogs' seemingly empathic behaviour towards humans. In this opinion piece, we begin by contextualizing our topic of interest within the larger body of literature on empathy. Thereafter we: (i) outline the reasons for why we believe dogs may be capable of empathizing with humans, perhaps even at some level beyond emotional contagion; (ii) review available evidence both pro and against our opinion; and (iii) propose routes for future studies to accurately address the topic. Also, we consider the use of dogs to further explore open questions regarding empathy in humans.

Objectives: Prompted by the need to find effective ways to enhance compliance in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and building on the increasing interest in dog-assisted interventions for this population, this study provides an exploratory test on whether dogs may assist children with severe ASD in complying with challenging demands while also decreasing behavioral and cardiovascular distress. Design: A within-subject design was used. Depending on condition, participants were allowed to engage with a particular stimulus—their preferred toy, a live dog, or a robotic dog—before being exposed to a demanding task in which they had to wait for permission to eat a desired food item (“prohibition task”). Although inactive, the stimulus remained present during the prohibition task. Subjects and settings: Ten male children, aged between 6 and 9 years and diagnosed with severe ASD, participated in this study. All were clinically referred as having serious compliance difficulties in everyday routines. Testing occurred at participants' homes. Outcome measures: Participants' emotional expressions, latency to distress, compliance levels, and behaviors that were shown during committed compliance were assessed during the prohibition task. In addition, cardiovascular reactivity to the task was monitored. Results: Obtained data revealed significant differences between conditions for some of the considered measures. Latency to distress was higher in the live dog than in the toy condition. Committed compliance was higher in the live dog than in the toy and robot conditions. Quiet waiting during committed compliance was higher in the live dog condition than in the toy condition, and tension release behaviors were lower. In addition, heart rate reactivity was lower in the live dog condition than in the toy condition. Conclusions: The live dog condition appeared to have a calming effect on the participants, hypothetically facilitating compliance. Although promising, these findings are only preliminary and their clinical significance needs to be assessed in future studies.

The inclusion of animals and robots in therapeutic interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become more common. This study provides a first comparison between the potential of living versus robotic dogs to elicit social communication behavior and regulated emotional responses in individuals with ASD. Ten children and thirteen adults with ASD and severe lan- guage delay were tested for appropriate social communication behavior and cardiac autonomic functioning during a planned, structured interaction with an experimenter alone (no-stimulus condition), an experimenter accompanied by a living dog (dog condition), and an experimenter accompanied by a robotic dog (robot condition). A within-subjects design was followed to expose all participants to all three experimental conditions. Overall, participants (children and adults) showed a higher percentage of appropriate social behaviors in Living and Robotic Dogs as Elicitors of Social Communication Behavior and Regulated Emotional … the dog and the robot conditions than in the no-stimulus condition. In children, the living dog was more effective than the robotic dog in promoting social communication behavior. In adults, no such difference was found between the dog and the robot condition. Only the dog appeared to elicit a positive effect in cardiac autonomic functioning by increasing heart rate variability (HRV) and buffer- ing the decrease in parasympathetic activity due to interaction with the experimenter. The data are preliminary but relevant and warrant replication in larger-scale studies.

It has been proposed that companion animals, and dogs in particular, may be helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, notably for psychological adjustment. The present study addressed this idea in a sample of 509 Portuguese individuals exposed to a national lockdown. Linear regression analyses were performed to test for associations between having lived with a dog during that phase and experienced levels of anxiety and depression while considering potential moderating effects. Sub-analyses on 345 dog owners were performed to explore how different dimensions of the dog–owner relationship are associated with owners’ anxiety and depression levels. A complex association was found between having lived with a dog during the lockdown, living area, and anxiety. For participants in rural and semi-urban areas, living with a dog was associated with lower anxiety; for participants in urban areas, living with a dog was associated with higher anxiety. Among dog owners, dog walking was marginally associated with lower depression, while perceived costs derived from caring for a dog and emotional closeness were associated with higher anxiety and depression. The results highlight the importance of going beyond mere ownership when studying the effects of companion dogs on human health and wellbeing. Also, they call for attention to dogs as a source of both concern and potential for health planners when defining strategies to manage mental health.