JNSS 2017, 8(3-4):146-152 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2017.017

A dog's effect on clients' heart rate and blood pressure and the possibilities of its use in relaxation

Kristýna Machová^1,*, Dan Poběrežský¹, Ivona Svobodová¹, Jitka Vařeková²

¹ Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Husbandry and Ethology of Animals, Prague, Czech Republic

² Charles University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Adapted Physical Education and Sport Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

Introduction: Canistherapy (dog as a means of treatment) includes various activities, the goal of which is to support the psychological and somatic functions of a patient to rehabilitate and treat them. Foreign studies have proven that dogs have a positive influence on fine motor skills, gross motor skills, movement, and motivation for therapies, anxiety, depression, socialization and cognitive functions. Dogs are usually used as co-therapists or canistherapists' associates in AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy) and AAA (Animal Assisted Activity). Patient contact and communication with animals (giving them treats and walking them) help to stimulate and activate patients with various diseases and impairments. Direct contact with a dog provides relaxation and a feeling of peace. It also evokes the feeling of sharing and offers the opportunity to change from difficult to light conversation topics.
Goal: The goal of the research was to verify the effect of contact with dogs on blood pressure and how this evokes relaxation in twelve healthy adults.

Materials and methods: Twelve adults (five men and seven women) underwent a thirty-minute intervention, which consisted of patients lying on their back for twenty minutes. The patients' upper body was in direct contact with a dog. This was followed by a ten-minute monitoring without the dog. Ten people showed a decrease in blood pressure, and nine showed a decrease in pulse frequency.

Conclusion: It is possible to say that the monitored individuals became relaxed due to the contact with a dog. In all cases, the therapy can be assessed as positive, because most clients showed a decrease in the monitored parameters. A systolic pressure decrease was observed in ten out of twelve clients. A diastolic pressure decrease was observed in ten clients, while one client showed unchanged values. Pulse frequency was decreased in nine out of twelve cases, and pressure decrease was observed in 83.3%. Decreased pulse frequency was 75% successful. All the monitored clients said that the therapy was pleasant, calming and that they would happily repeat it. A positive attitude toward animals, in this case dogs, is the basis for successful results of this alternative method.

Keywords: dog; therapy; pulse; blood pressure

Received: September 20, 2017; Accepted: November 13, 2017; Published: September 1, 2017  Show citation