Relationship-centred support for human–dog teams

Canine-Assisted Therapy (CAT) is a relationship-centred, evidence-informed support service designed for a specific human and their dog. It intentionally uses the existing bond between a person and their dog to support emotional regulation, communication, and overall well-being for both members of the team.

This work recognizes that humans and dogs influence one another continuously. By supporting regulation, clarity, and partnership on both ends of the leash, CAT helps teams build safer, more functional, and more sustainable ways of living and working together.

Canine-Assisted Therapy: A General Overview

In its broadest and most widely used sense, Canine-Assisted Therapy (CAT) refers to a range of supportive services that intentionally include dogs to help people cope with, manage, or reduce symptoms associated with physical, emotional, cognitive, or mental health conditions.

The overall aim of Canine-Assisted Therapy is to alleviate distress, improve daily functioning, and support quality of life where possible. Because individuals experience challenges differently, Canine-Assisted Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all service. Therapeutic goals, structure, and focus may vary depending on a person’s condition, capacity, and the type of support they require.

Canine-Assisted Therapy may support individuals by:

• Providing comfort and helping reduce pain or physical discomfort
• Supporting movement, balance, or motor skill development
• Encouraging social engagement and behavioural skill development
• Increasing motivation for activities such as movement, exercise, or social interaction
• Supporting healthy daily routines, including household tasks, nutrition, self-care, and sleep hygiene
• Promoting cognitive engagement, learning readiness, and focus
• Encouraging self-awareness, emotional regulation, and coping skills

The type of therapy and therapeutic targets may evolve over time, as a person’s needs, goals, or capacity change.

What Makes Canine-Assisted Therapy Different

Canine-Assisted Therapy is not based on training dogs to work with the public or providing generalized comfort visits. Instead, it is built around the real relationship you already have with your dog.

Your dog does not need a specific temperament, title, or certification to participate. Many dogs are not suited to public-facing therapy or service roles due to temperament, genetics, age, health, or life history—and CAT respects those realities.

What matters most is:

• The existing bond between you and your dog

• A welfare-first, behaviour-informed approach

• Support that is ethical, realistic, and sustainable over time

How Canine-Assisted Therapy Supports the Dog

For dogs, Canine-Assisted Therapy supports emotional regulation, stability, and overall well-being, regardless of whether a dog is experiencing significant stress or behavioural challenges. Dogs do not need to be in distress, dysregulated, or struggling with behaviour issues in order to benefit from this work.

Canine-Assisted Therapy helps ensure that a dog’s daily needs are being met so they can engage comfortably in learning, training, and daily life. This support is foundational whether a dog is:

• working toward elevated training goals,
• participating in a behaviour modification protocol, or
• simply building greater stability and resilience in everyday routines.

Emotional regulation and nervous system stability are essential foundations for learning and behaviour change. When these foundations are supported, dogs are better able to:

• engage in training without emotional overload
• adapt to new challenges and expectations
• recover efficiently from stress when it does occur
• participate ethically and sustainably in advanced work

Canine-Assisted Therapy supports dogs by:

• Supporting emotional regulation and nervous system balance
• Recognizing and meeting breed-specific and individual needs
• Incorporating appropriate enrichment, movement, rest, and recovery
• Supporting clarity, predictability, and communication with their human
• Promoting confidence, resilience, and well-being over time

 

This approach recognizes that regulation supports learning at all stages, not only when challenges arise. By meeting the dog’s needs proactively, Canine-Assisted Therapy creates conditions that allow training, behaviour change, and partnership development to progress effectively and ethically.

How Sessions Work

Canine-Assisted Therapy sessions are purposeful and goal-guided, while remaining flexible and adaptive to the evolving needs of both the human and the dog.

Each team works toward clear, longer-term goals, with the session structure adjusting as capacity, stress levels, learning, and progress change over time. This balance allows the work to remain structured without becoming rigid, and responsive without becoming reactive.

All guidance is grounded in:

• Canine behaviour science and learning theory

• Welfare-centred, consent-based practices

• Ongoing observation and assessment of both partners

Professional Scope & Approach

Canine-Assisted Therapy is facilitated by a canine behaviour professional. This service is not psychotherapy and does not replace medical or mental-health treatment.

Human outcomes are supported through the dog–human relationship, co-regulation strategies, environmental design, and behaviour-informed guidance—while remaining clearly within professional scope.

Consultants bring:

• Strong human communication and relational skills

• Experience working in human-facing roles such as education, coaching, or compassionate care

• Full competency in canine behaviour, welfare, and ethical practice

Service Dog & Support Pathways

For some teams, Canine-Assisted Therapy may become part of a supported service-dog self-training journey, helping build co-regulation, communication, and emotional resilience while suitability for advanced training is thoughtfully assessed.

For others, the outcome is a healthier, more functional partnership that supports daily life—without pressure to pursue roles or certifications that may not be appropriate or attainable for the dog.

Every path is valid. Every dog is respected.

Is Canine-Assisted Therapy Right for You?

Canine-Assisted Therapy may be a good fit if you are looking for:

• Support that respects both human and canine needs

• A relationship-based, ethical approach

• Guidance that adapts over time

• Professional support without unrealistic promises

Research studies indicate that including canines in the therapy process provides patients with the ability to open up, speak out and participate in ways they were not able to when the dog was not present. Canines can elicit positive social responses when other approaches often fail, and mediate interactions in awkward and uncomfortable therapeutic settings.

These services are often approved by insurance as a therapeutic approach to recovery after an accident and can be combined with self-training a service dog with professional support.

Please have your medical professional or occupational therapist contact us for more information. 

View Studies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7185850/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6336278/

Recognizing the Role of Companion Animals in Addiction Recovery, The Canadian Journal of Addiction 14(2):p 6-8, June 2023.https://journals.lww.com/cja/fulltext/2023/06000/recognizing_the_role_of_companion_animals_in.2.aspx#:~:text=Attachment 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/health/therapy-dogs-hospitals-wellness/index.htmlfbclid=IwAR3gYFoWt3dC4SojfVZsVg7JCRjPc8rCOZOA6JZXWqvxj4dQI6d4bcDmOuk

Canine therapy is a complementary treatment. It is not a basis for the treatment of any condition and should only enhance or complement other treatment. It is not a replacement for other forms of therapy, such as psychotherapy or physical therapy.