Animal-Assisted Strategies at Home

Q: My son enjoys his therapy sessions with his therapist and her dog Winnie. Can we apply some of these Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) strategies at home with our dog?

A: Certainly! Here are three ways Elsy Estrada, LMSW, recommends integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy techniques at home:

Teaching Boundaries: You can use your dog, let’s call her “Daisy,” to illustrate the importance of boundaries. If Daisy declines your child’s interaction, it’s a valuable lesson that we all have a right to say “No.”

Learning to Self-Sooth: Allow Daisy to sit with your child during timeouts as an external aid for self-soothing and self-regulation skills. Transitioning from intense emotions to calmness is a crucial life skill. Discuss these experiences with your child, emphasizing the impact of feelings on behavior. Making these connections is an integral part of their emotional development.

Developing Emotional Intelligence: Use Daisy to address shared fears, like if your child and Daisy both feel scared during storms. This creates an opportunity to talk about emotions with a helpful distance. Collaborate with your child to identify and implement calming strategies for the dog. Focusing on your pet’s needs during these moments can help alleviate the child’s distress through distraction and altruism. Assure your child that, despite the temporary upset, Daisy will return to her usual self. This teaches children that feelings are dynamic and transient. Kids learn resilience and emotional intelligence by accepting and navigating through various emotions. Emphasize that experiencing the full spectrum of feelings is a natural part of the richness of life. This fosters a healthy emotional outlook and helps children understand and tolerate negative emotions.

Implementing these strategies at home reinforces emotional development and strengthens the bond between your child and your family pet.

Advice column initially published in the Lakelands Leader December 2023

For more on our Animal-Assisted Play Therapy services, visit us here.

For more on the therapy team of Elsy Estrada and her canine therapy partner Winnie, click their bios, or come visit Elsy on LinkedIn.