Therapy dogs provide health benefits for individuals who suffer from illnesses, such as dementia, depression, loneliness, and aggression. Therapy dogs' impact on human health has been thoroughly studied; however, studies on dog welfare have been limited. Additionally, as dogs have evolved with humans, they have learned to read non-verbal social cues. Dogs can read humans' non-verbal body language and can react to their emotions. However, the body language of dogs is poorly understood and can lead to dog owner-directed aggression. Communication plays a vital role to be a cohesive therapy team. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived stress and cortisol concentrations in therapy dogs and their handlers during the first three visits in a hospital setting. Moreover, the study aimed to investigate whether, while in an overstimulating environment, a therapy dog handler can observe his or her dog's body language and correlate such observations to the dog's stress. Nine therapy dog teams from Mayo Clinic's Caring Canine Program participated in this study. A baseline salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog each day of the visits. Once the team arrived, a pre-visit salivary cortisol was collected from the handler and therapy dog and, afterward, a post-visit salivary cortisol. Handlers were also asked to fill out a perceived stress survey on their own stress and that of their therapy dogs'. Behavior was documented by a staff member and the handler. For each visit, the therapy dogs were at the hospital on average 47 min and visited with nine people. There was significant correlation (P = 0.02) between the owner's perceived stress of his or her therapy dog and the dog's salivary cortisol concentrations. The handlers noted medium to high stress, and those dogs had higher cortisol concentrations post-visit. There was no significant difference in salivary cortisol for the handler and therapy dog over the course of the three visits and comparing pre- and post-visit. Overall, the dogs displayed mixed behaviors, with the three most reported being panting, lip licking, and yawning. However, salivary cortisol results suggest that the handlers and therapy dogs maintained their welfare state throughout the visits.

治疗犬为患有痴呆症，抑郁症，孤独感和侵略性疾病的人提供健康益处。治疗犬对人体健康的影响已得到彻底研究；但是，关于狗的福利的研究很有限。另外，随着狗与人一起进化，他们学会了阅读非语言的社交线索。狗可以阅读人类的非语言肢体语言，并且可以对自己的情绪做出反应。但是，人们对狗的肢体语言了解甚少，并可能导致狗主人主导的攻击。沟通对于成为凝聚治疗团队至关重要。这项研究的目的是评估在医院环境中的前三次就诊时，治疗犬及其操作者的感知压力和皮质醇浓度。此外，该研究旨在调查是否，在过度刺激的环境中，治疗犬的处理者可以观察他或她的犬的肢体语言，并将这些观察结果与犬的压力相关联。来自梅奥诊所的“爱心犬计划”的9个治疗犬小组参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（狗的治疗师可以观察他或她的狗的肢体语言，并将这些观察结果与狗的压力相关联。来自梅奥诊所的“爱心犬计划”的9个治疗犬小组参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（狗的治疗师可以观察他或她的狗的肢体语言，并将这些观察结果与狗的压力相关联。来自梅奥诊所的“爱心犬计划”的9个治疗犬小组参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（的肢体语言，并将这些观察结果与狗的压力相关联。来自梅奥诊所的“爱心犬计划”的9个治疗犬小组参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（的肢体语言，并将这些观察结果与狗的压力相关联。来自梅奥诊所的“爱心犬计划”的9个治疗犬小组参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（的“爱犬计划”参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（的“爱犬计划”参加了这项研究。每天探访时，从操作者和治疗犬中收集基线唾液皮质醇。小组到达后，会从处理人员和治疗犬那里收集唾液皮质醇，然后收集唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（参观后唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（参观后唾液皮质醇。还要求操作人员针对他们自己和治疗犬的压力填写感知压力调查。员工和处理者记录了行为。对于每次探访，治疗犬平均要在医院呆47分钟，并与9人进行探视。有显着的相关性（P= 0.02）在拥有者对他或她的治疗犬的感知压力与该犬唾液皮质醇浓度之间的关系。处理人员注意到中度到高压力，而这些狗在拜访后的皮质醇浓度较高。处理者和治疗犬的唾液皮质醇在这三个访视过程中以及访视前后的比较中没有显着差异。总体而言，这些狗表现出不同的行为，其中报告最多的三个是气喘吁吁，舔嘴唇和打哈欠。但是，唾液皮质醇的结果表明，操作人员和治疗犬在整个探视过程中都保持其福利状态。