As dog-assisted interventions (DAI) grow more common in healthcare and therapeutic settings, so too does the need for well-trained, emotionally balanced dogs. A new study out of Spain addresses this by proposing an integrative training method rooted in contemporary research on dog learning and cognitive development.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of real-world animal-assisted interventions, the researchers created a system that avoids outdated training lore and instead aligns with scientifically validated canine behavioral science. The training protocol considers ontogeny—the developmental stages of a dog’s life—making sure the training supports the dog’s natural learning capacity and psychological well-being from early stages.
This constructivist approach builds key skills needed for therapy work, including emotional control, relational cues, and task engagement, while safeguarding welfare. By emphasizing cognition-based development over rote conditioning, the method helps produce dogs who are not only behaviorally reliable but also emotionally resilient in therapeutic environments.
The study emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between practitioners and researchers, calling for wider dissemination and adoption of science-informed training in dog-assisted therapy. This could lead to better outcomes for both dogs and the humans they support.
Source: F. Acebes, J. L. Pellitero, C. Muñiz-Diez, I. Loy, Animals, February 1, 2022.
