Exploring Interaction Dynamics in Dog-Assisted Therapy: An Observational Study

(1) Background: Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) integrates dogs into therapeutic sessions to enhance participants' physical, emotional, and social well-being. Despite its growing popularity, little is known about the interaction dynamics between the dog, participant, and therapist during sessions. (2) Methods: This study examined these dynamics, focusing on active participation, focus direction, joint focus, and physical contact. Video data from sessions 1, 5, and 9 of 10 individual therapy sessions with five participants were analysed using behavioural observations and an ethogram. (3) Results: Results indicated that therapists' active participation increased over time while participants' activity levels remained stable. Dogs were most active during the initial and final sessions. Participants' focus on therapists remained consistent, but their focus on the dog stabilised after an initial decline. Dogs are primarily focused on their surroundings. The joint focus between participants and therapists increased, and physical contact with dogs varied significantly among participants and dogs. (4) Conclusions: The findings partially support the "icebreaker" theory, whereby dogs help establish initial rapport. However, the trend was not consistent across all participants. Therapist-dog interactions remained low and stable. Differences in dog characteristics (e.g., breed and fur type) and participant needs may explain variation in physical contact. These findings underline the complexity of DAT and highlight the need for further research into interaction patterns relate to participants and dog characteristics.