Stanley Coren with his therapy d
og\, Ripley[/caption]Studies ha ve shown that therapy-dog visits alleviate stress and improve health and well-being. Dogs are popular vi sitors in hospitals\, senior centres\, airports–and now universities. Many universities bring in therapy dogs to help their students cope with the str esses of student life. This event is a chance for UBC students to interact with dogs\, volunteers\, and other students before final exams\; when stude nts might be feeling stressed or over-whelmed.
UBC Psy chology and the UBC Alma M ater Society (AMS) is partnering with Vancouver ecoVillage to bring t he therapy dogs to campus from September to November 2016.
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d="attachment_10439" align="alignright" width="300"] Stanley Coren with his therapy d
og\, Ripley[/caption]
Vancouver ecoVillage has a rigorous ther apy-dog training program\, which requires several months of training and te sting. The therapy dogs are re-tested annually to ensure they keep displayi ng temperament that shows confidence\, good manners and sociability with ot her dogs and people. The dogs meet strict health requirements\, are well-gr oomed and gentle at all times. They even do tricks to entertain and amuse. Most of all\, these special dogs and their handlers have a therapeutic and calming influence on people in the community who have the pleasure of meeti ng them.
At these dog therapy sessions\, Dr. Stanley Coren\, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and canine behaviour expert\, and Dr. Frances Chen\, Assistant Profess or of Psychology\, will be exploring how therapy dog sessions influence stu dents’ stress and well-being.
The sessions are open to UBC students and the public (on a donation basis).