July 23, 2018

Research led by Sabrina E. B. Schuck, PhD, MA, executive director of the UCI Child Development Center and assistant professor in residence in the Department of Pediatrics at UCI School of Medicine, found that children ages 7-9 with ADHD, who received canine assisted intervention (CAI), “experienced a reduction in inattention and an improvement in social skills.”

While CAI and other "best practice" psychosocial interventions were reported to be just effective for reducing overall ADHD symptom severity after 12 weeks, “the group assisted by therapy dogs fared significantly better with improved attention and social skills at only eight weeks and demonstrated fewer behavioral problems. No significant group differences, however, were reported for hyperactivity and impulsivity.”

"Our finding that dogs can hasten the treatment response is very meaningful," said Schuck. "In addition, the fact that parents of the children who were in the CAI group reported significantly fewer problem behaviors over time than those treated without therapy dogs is further evidence of the importance of this research."

The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for managing a child’s ADHD states that it important to consider using both psychopharmacological and psychosocial therapies. “The take away from this is that families now have a viable option when seeking alternative or adjunct therapies to medication treatments for ADHD, especially when it comes to impaired attention," said Schuck. "Inattention is perhaps the most salient problem experienced across the life span for individuals with this disorder."

If the parents are willing, a pet dog may be the perfect back-to-school gift for a niece or nephew coping with difficulties focusing in class.

University of California - Irvine. "Therapy dogs effective in reducing symptoms of ADHD, study finds." ScienceDaily. (accessed July 23, 2018).

Photo: Lukashenko Studio