Watts, Aislyn (2025) Man’s Best Friend or Man’s Best Therapist? Exploring the Barriers to Facilitating Dog-Assisted Therapy. Masters thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
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Abstract
Previous research has supported the efficacy of dog-assisted therapy, however, there continues to be a gap in the literature to explain why there are few opportunities to engage in this type of therapy. This research aimed to identify the perceived barriers to facilitating dog-assisted therapy to comprehend why few therapists choose to practice in this field. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews took place with three participants with varying experiences of dog-assisted therapy. These interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, generating three superordinate themes: Dog Welfare, Dog Suitability and No Regulation. This research concluded that the lack of regulation within the field of dog-assisted therapy provides little guidance for therapists when tackling tensions between Dog Welfare and Dog Suitability, which could discourage new therapists from entering the field.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | dog-assisted, therapy, barriers, animal-assisted therapy, facilitator |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RC Internal medicine S Agriculture > SF Animal culture |
| Divisions: | Theses and Dissertations > Masters Dissertations |
| Depositing User: | Victoria Hankinson |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Oct 2025 14:42 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Oct 2025 14:42 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3955 |
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