UBC Okanagan research finds therapy dogs reduce student stress, loneliness 

Photo: Freya Green

BARK volunteer Sam Levin, left, and Nava greet students at UBC Okanagan. A new study from UBCO's School of Education found therapy dogs can ease feelings of loneliness.

Just 30 minutes with a dog can make a big difference in easing stress and loneliness for post-secondary students, especially those living far from home.

The latest research by the director of the B.A.R.K. (Building Academic Retention through K-9s) program at UBC Okanagan found working with therapy dogs for half an hour had a pronounced positive effect on students, with an even greater effect on international students.

Using a scale of zero to 3.5, the researchers, led by Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, found that interactions with the canine companions reduced stress levels by about half for male and female students.

The results were similar for loneliness. Female students tended to have higher feelings of loneliness going into the session, but they also saw a larger improvement following the canine interactions.

“This research reinforces what we already know about the benefits of therapy dogs on stress, but it also highlights their ability to combat loneliness — a growing concern among university students,” says Dr. Binfet.

“Drop-in dog therapy programs offer an accessible way to create meaningful opportunities for students to connect and improve their wellbeing.”

The research was conducted as part of UBCO’s long-running B.A.R.K. program, which has provided on-campus therapy dog sessions and conducted canine-assisted intervention studies for over a decade.

The complete study, Keeping Loneliness on a Short Leash: Reducing University Student Stress and Loneliness through a Canine-Assisted Intervention is published in Human-Animal Interactions.