Therapy Dogs

A therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices and disaster areas. Irish Wolfhounds do exceptionally well as “comfort” dogs — they are naturally calm and sensitive, and there are several IWANE members who partake in this activity with their hounds.

It provides a brilliant opportunity to bond with your hound by creating that trust and support. People who meet Irish Wolfhounds for therapy moments are often in awe of this special relationship between owner and hound.

Important DistinctionTherapy dogs are very different from Service dogs. It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog for purposes of being admitted on a plane or in a restaurant. This page focuses on therapy for “comfort and healing.” Please refer to our section on Service dogs for more information on their role in assisting individuals with disabilities.

Physical Health

Healing that goes beyond the mind

Emotional challenges are often the result of physical health problems — and therapy dogs can help with those too. Experts suggest that patients recovering from difficult surgery or a bad accident who spend time with pets may heal more quickly.

The biochemical response is measurable: interactions with therapy animals increase oxytocin and dopamine — the body’s natural mood elevators — while suppressing cortisol, the primary stress hormone.

Traits of a Good Candidate

• Calm and social with strangers
• Able to adjust to loud noises and fast movements
• Comfortable if suddenly grabbed or touched unexpectedly
• Not highly food-motivated (especially for hospital visits)
• At ease around wheelchairs, walking aids, and hospital beds

Some organizations offer classes such as “distraction-proofing,” which strengthens a dog’s ability to focus, and therapy training that helps prepare both the dog and owner for real-world visits. A good therapy candidate should have a well-rounded temperament suited to unpredictable environments.

19th Century

Florence Nightingale

Nightingale discovered that patients of different ages living in a psychiatric institution were relieved from anxiety when they were able to spend time with small animals — one of the earliest documented cases of animal-assisted therapy.

Early 20th Century

Sigmund Freud

Freud used his dog during therapy sessions and found that patients were more comfortable and communicative when the dog was present — recognizing the calming power of a canine companion in clinical settings.

1976

Elaine Smith

A registered nurse, Smith noticed that patients were immediately comforted when a chaplain visited a trauma ward with his dog. In 1976 she founded a formal program for training dogs to visit institutions, and the demand for therapy dogs has continued to grow ever since.