Students
Studying visiting therapy dogs for student and staff wellness.
Do Dogs Help Students?
Do Dogs Help Students?
Do Dogs Help Students?
- In 2015 Dr. Dell led the development of the PAWSitive Support Therapy Dog program on the University of Saskatchewan campus, alongside St. John Ambulance. The goal of the visiting therapy dog is to offer program participants feelings of comfort/love and support. This video provides a brief introduction to the program.
- The program has been evaluated by Dr. Dell's team and a thesis by Rebecca Lalonde has been published on how support and comfort are offered to students by the Therapy Dogs.
- Dr. Dell was a lead investigator on a pilot evaluation of the immediate and three-month follow-up outcomes of the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program at three Canadian universities. Her team found that the therapy dogs offer love and support. Love is understood as having reciprocal love for the dogs and gaining positive feelings from visiting with them. Support is understood as de-stressing and relaxing by interacting with the dogs.
- The PAWS Your Stress virtual Therapy Dog program launched in April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
- Dr. Dell has been teaching alongside both Therapy and Service Dogs for several years. It is difficult to remember a time she has not presented in the community alongside a dog. Dr. Dell recently published on an exploratory project for which data was collected to examine the impact of a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog on student learning within a university classroom setting.
- Dr. Dell has also partnered with Sarah Gauthier from the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan to measure the impact of a therapy dog on student stress in a first year, university level engineering design class. It is well established that first year engineering students have a high level of stress and associated anxiety. It is also established that both can negatively impact student learning. This study compared students in a classroom with and without a therapy dog on their experience of stress within the classroom.
Do Dogs Help Students?
Do Dogs Help Students?
HIGHLIGHTS
Academic Publications
- Dell, C., Mills, S., Goodfellow, H., Cruz, M., 2022. “A Novel Approach to Supporting Student Mental Health in the University Classroom with Therapy Dogs”. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
- Rostami Haji Abadi, M. Hase, B., Dell, C., Johnston, J.D., Kontulainen, S. (2022). "Dog-Assisted Physical Activity Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility and Efficacy Pilot". Anthrozoös. DOI:10.1080/08927936.2002.2027091
- Dell, C., Williamson, L., Pavelich, A., McKenzie, H., , Gibson, M., Cruz, M., Carey, B. 2021. "A Commentary about Lessons Learned: Transitioning a Therapy Dog Program Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic". Animals. 99(3), 914. pp. 1-12.
- Lalonde, R., Claypool, T., Dell, C. 2020. “PAWS Your Stress: The Student Experience of Therapy Dog Programming”. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 11(2). pp. 78-90.
- Dell, C., D. Chalmers, J. Gillett, B. Rohr, C. Nickel, L. Campbell, R. Hanoski, J. Haguerud, A. Husband, C. Stephenson, M. Brydges. 2015. “PAWSing student stress: A Pilot Study of the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program on Three Canadian Campuses”. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. 49:4, pp. 332-359.
- Robertson-Boersma, D., P. Butt, C. Dell. 2015. “Reflections on How a University Binge Drinking Prevention Initiative Supports Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral for Student Alcohol Use”. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 88, pp. 339-346.
Presentations
- Carey, B. (Presenter), Dell, C., Williamson, L., Pavelick, A., McKenzie, H., Gibson, M., Cruz, M, “Transitioning a Therapy Dog Program Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned”. Virtual Solutions for Substance Use Care Conference. University of British Columbia. Virtual Platform. In absentia. Ben awarded 1st prize for presentation.
Other Products
- Dell, C. (2020). Taking Therapy Dogs Online During COVID-19. Human Animal Interaction Newsletter. 1-2. Available here.
- Dell, C., Husband, A., Gibson, M., Butt, P. (2018). Gone to the Dogs to PAWS My Stress. Door hanger - Cannabis.
- Husband, A., Dell, C., Butt,P., Tress, K. (2015). Gone to the Dogs to PAWS My Stress. Door hanger - Alcohol.
Video
- Pavelich, A, Dell, CA, Ogresko, J. (2019). PAWS Your Stress: A Therapy Dog Program on the University of Saskatchewan Campus. USask Media Production Team video.
Addiction Research Chair Outcomes
Dr. Dell's work is informed by research undertaken during her Addiction Research Chair (2007-2016)
Highlights of Dr. Dell's work during this time include:
- COMING SOON!
Photo Gallery
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Funders & Supporters
Department of Sociology, School of Public Health, Student Health Services, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, What’s Your Cap?, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness, College of Kinesiology, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, School of Public Health, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences University of Saskatchewan; Office of the Research Chair in One Health & Wellness; Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction; McMaster University; St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program (Saskatchewan); University of Regina; Carleton University; University of Saskatchewan One Health Research Development Grant Program; Autism Services Saskatoon; University of Regina; Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Rapid Response funding program; Office of the Research Chair in Substance Abuse, University of Saskatchewan, funded by a grant from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.
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