Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong and colleagues (2025) published their findings in PLoS ONE, examining the physiological and psychological impact of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) on 122 university students in Thailand. Chronic stress is a major issue in higher education, and traditional stress management approaches are not always effective or accessible. This study explored whether brief interactions with dogs could offer a practical alternative.
Participants, who reported moderate to high stress, engaged in a 15-minute dog interaction session. Stress markers were assessed at three points: baseline (T1), immediately before meeting the dog (T2), and after the session (T3). Results showed that anticipation of dog interaction already reduced self-reported stress, blood pressure, and pulse rate, with further reductions after the session. Salivary cortisol levels dropped significantly following interaction with the dogs.
The welfare of the six participating dogs was also monitored. While their salivary cortisol did not change, fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were higher during the week of interaction compared to afterward. The researchers interpreted this as a sign of positive arousal rather than stress, supported by observed calm behavior in the dogs.
These findings demonstrate that CAI can improve student well-being without compromising dog welfare. The authors suggest integrating CAI into campus mental health initiatives, with future research exploring long-term effects, broader community applications, and strategies to make such programs more accessible.
Source: Yotanyamaneewong, S., Junla, D., Brown, J. L., Siriapaipant, N., Yodkamol, N., Prachasilchai, W., Saengthong, A., Sanguansak, P., Kankonsue, T., Punyapornwithaya, V., Sansamur, C., Nganvongpanit, K., & Khonmee, J. (2025). The impact of canine-assisted intervention on stress reduction among university students in Thailand. Journal: PLOS ONE, Volume 20. Publication Date: 2025-03-12. Authors: Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong et al.
