Is it fair to ask a therapy dog to work every day?

I read a study from Purdue that said therapy dogs working more than 4 days a week show signs of stress in their cortisol levels. Some trainers say it's fine as long as the dog seems happy, but others argue we're ignoring their needs for our benefit. Where do you draw the line between a working dog and an overworked one?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth17d ago

Nah, let the dog have weekends off.

mason_foster6817d ago

Look, @wade_perez, I get where you're coming from, but a lot of working dogs actually thrive on routine and purpose. Most therapy dogs get serious enrichment from their job, and a day off every now and then is fine, but making them work daily isn't automatically cruel if the handler pays attention to the dog's actual cues. The cortisol spike might just mean the dog is alert and engaged, not necessarily miserable.

wade_perez17d ago

The stress in their cortisol levels" says it all, just give the dog a day off.