[Dog-assisted therapy: clinical evidence and current challenges]

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Psychology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is an intervention using trained dogs to improve patient outcomes.
• DAT is increasingly implemented in clinical, educational, and community settings.
• Existing frameworks support integrating DAT into interdisciplinary therapeutic models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the scientific literature on the effectiveness of DAT.
• To evaluate DAT's impact across diverse populations and pathologies.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted in specialized databases.
• 46 studies were included: controlled clinical trials, retrospective studies, historical records, and systematic reviews.
• Studies covered neurodevelopmental disorders, neurological diseases, chronic pain, intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and non-communicable chronic diseases.

Main Results:

• DAT demonstrated clinically significant benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression.
• Improvements were noted in socialization, cognitive stimulation, pain perception, and treatment adherence.
• Methodological limitations identified include small sample sizes and lack of standardized interventions.

Conclusions:

• DAT shows promise for improving physical, emotional, cognitive, and social variables.
• Challenges remain in professional training, interdisciplinary coordination, regulation, and protocol validation.
• Further high-quality research is essential to solidify evidence-based DAT practices.