Petting Therapy Dogs as Stress Buster

Petting therapy dogs program can effectively reduce the anxiety in college students under stress and enhance their thinking skills. New Washington State University research measured executive functioning in the 309 students by assigning one of three academic stress-management programs featuring varying combinations of human-animal interaction and evidenced-based academic stress management to them.

The results of the study published in journal American Educational Research Association, show stressed students exhibit improved cognitive skills after completion of the four-week-long program.

Human-animal interaction programs help by letting struggling students relax as they talk and think about their stressors. Through petting animals, they are more likely to relax and cope with these stressors rather than become overwhelmed. This enhances students' ability to think, set goals, get motivated, concentrate and remember what they are learning, said Patricia Pendry, associate professor in WSU's Department of Human Development.

The study also emphasized the physiological impact of Petting Animals for just 10 minutes reduce stress in a short period.

Though regular stress management programs teach them to cope withs stress, Petting animals change their behavior with positive thoughts and actions.

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Source-Eurekalert