Dogs offer stress relief, even in tele-therapy settings, according to new study

Dogs offer stress relief, even in tele-therapy settings, according to new study

Dogs offer stress relief, even in tele-therapy settings, according to new study Most dog lovers don’t need a formal research paper to tell them that snuggling up with a pup is good for their mental health.  But researchers at the University of British Columbia wondered: Does watching videos of dogs have a similar comforting effect? A B.A.R.K. therapy dog in action on campus. Photo courtesy of University of British Columbia/Building Academic Retention Through K9s To test their hypothesis, researchers recruited more than 900 student participants and 120 community members, who were asked to watch a five-minute pre-recorded video featuring a therapy dog and their handler. The videos were designed to mimic an in-person therapy dog experience, including guided reflections, visual engagements with the dog, and calming narration from the handler.  All participants completed a short survey before and after watching the video and rated their stress using a visual analog scale, from one (“not stressed…