A dog is truly a man's best friend, and the work of researchers only confirms this.
Thus, scientists were able to prove that as a result of regular tactile interaction with a therapy dog, students experiencing stress experienced a significant decrease in anxiety and improved thinking skills.
This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Washington State University.
They found that stress management programs that involved pets were more effective for students experiencing anxiety.
The four-week program found that students' cognitive skills had improved.
Remarkably, elevated levels persisted for four weeks after completion of therapy.
More than three hundred students took part in the experiment.
They all agreed to have scientists measure a variety of skills, including planning, organizing work, concentrating, remembering facts, and motivation.
According to the authors, today's traditional stress management programs often take a lecture format, where students listen to an expert, view slides, and take notes on topics such as how to improve sleep or overcome anxiety.
While this is certainly important, it is not as effective for students with learning difficulties as dog-assisted learning, the researchers say.
