ABSTRACT

Human–animal interaction (HAI) such a dog walking is used as an intervention to decrease stress in individuals with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, it is important to know whether PTSD symptoms of a dog walker and the walk itself stress the shelter dogs. This exploratory project evaluated the impact of a shelter-dog walking program for veterans on stress experienced by the dogs. It also examined whether the PTSD status of the veteran influenced the impact of the walk on the dog. Prior to data collection university, IRB/IACUC approvals were obtained. Shelter dogs (n = 25) were walked by veterans who were participating in an 8-week walking program. Seventeen of the walks (45%) were by veterans who reported PTSD. Dog stress was assessed with heart rate variability (HRV) measured for 24 h before, during, and for one hour after the veteran’s first and last walks. The walks were designed to take 30 min. The study included 38 walks by 25 dogs and their 28 veteran walkers. The dogs were largely male (60%) and mixed breeds (80%). Sizes of dogs were approximately equally distributed between small, medium, and large sizes. Dog stress was not significantly higher during dog walks when compared with similar times of day in the previous day or with the period immediately prior to the walk. Post-walk, dog stress was significantly lower after walks with veterans with PTSD (HRV M = 11.64, SD = 0.15, p = 0.01, d = 1.09) than for walks with veterans without PTSD (HRV M = 11.42, SD = 0.28). This study provided no evidence that being walked by veterans with PTSD was stressful for shelter dogs despite the unfamiliarity of the veteran dog walkers. Future studies with larger sample sizes in multiple shelters should be conducted to extend the current results.

摘要

人与动物的互动 (HAI)，例如遛狗，被用作减轻创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 患者压力的干预措施。然而，重要的是要知道遛狗者的 PTSD 症状和步行本身是否会给收容所的狗带来压力。这个探索性项目评估了退伍军人收容所遛狗计划对狗所承受压力的影响。它还检查了退伍军人的 PTSD 状态是否会影响走路对狗的影响。在数据收集大学之前，获得了 IRB/IACUC 的批准。收容所狗（n = 25) 由参加 8 周步行计划的退伍军人步行。其中 17 人（45%）是由报告 PTSD 的退伍军人进行的。狗的压力通过在退伍军人第一次和最后一次步行之前、期间和之后一小时测量的心率变异性 (HRV) 进行评估。步行的设计时间为 30 分钟。该研究包括 25 只狗和他们的 28 名资深步行者进行的 38 次步行。这些狗主要是雄性（60%）和混合品种（80%）。狗的大小在小型、中型和大型之间大致相等。与前一天的类似时间或步行前的时间相比，遛狗期间的狗压力没有显着增加。与患有 PTSD 的退伍军人散步后，狗的压力显着降低（HRV M = 11.64, SD  = 0.15, p  = 0.01, d  = 1.09) 与没有 PTSD 的退伍军人一起散步 (HRV M  =  11.42, SD  = 0.28)。尽管退伍军人遛狗者不熟悉，但这项研究没有提供任何证据表明，由患有 PTSD 的退伍军人遛狗会给收容所的狗带来压力。应在多个避难所中进行更大样本量的未来研究以扩展当前结果。