Where humans cannot help, dogs will.
In the autumn of 2023, a Canine Therapy Center opened in Kyiv, offering free assistance to both military personnel and civilian Ukrainians facing psychological issues since the onset of the full-scale invasion.
To learn how therapy dogs are selected and how they can assist adults and children, read the article from Kashtan NEWS.
Children
“Chelsea, give me five!”
The fluffy Chelsea extends her paw and looks affectionately at the child who issued the command. The child is thrilled. Chelsea is ten years old; she spent two years on the streets, another two in a shelter in Borodyanka, before finally finding a loving family. It was during this time that the charismatic mutt (a "designer dog," as they politely call her at the center) was discovered to have an extraordinary talent for providing psychological support.
Canine therapy cannot be considered a brand-new method; the involvement of dogs in psychological rehabilitation has been practiced worldwide for nearly half a century. Interaction with dogs reduces levels of adrenaline and cortisol (the "stress hormones"), helps individuals open up, and establishes connections not only with the animals but also with other people – particularly with a psychologist, who is an essential part of the team.
“We had a girl who was very scared during the shelling and hardly spoke at all. But we tell children that to communicate with a dog, you need to talk – even though the dog can follow commands through gestures. Thus, the dog becomes a motivator for children to communicate with us, with psychologists, and among themselves,” explains cynologist Marina Prokopenko, head of the INNIKOS Canine Therapy Center.
INNIKOS has been operational in Kyiv since October 2023. This initiative was established thanks to Kyiv's cynologists and psychologists, the public organization "Change Communication," and the support of the Royal Canin Foundation (France). Last summer, a similar canine therapy center was opened in Rivne, and soon two more will start operating in Chernivtsi and Mirgorod.
0 “All sessions are completely free. A person visits the website, registers, and chooses whether they need group therapy or individual sessions. Then an administrator contacts them, and together they select the type of therapy that suits them. In the Kyiv center, we have two psychologists and a rehabilitation specialist. The rehabilitation specialist mostly works with military personnel, while the psychologists cater to everyone – meaning anyone can sign up for therapy. Essentially, we are all affected by the full-scale invasion; there are no people untouched by this,” says Natalia Chernenko, the communications officer for the project to establish canine therapy centers implemented by the NGO “Change Communication.”
Adults
In Kyiv, free canine therapy sessions are held at the Center on Pryrichna Street, as well as at “VCentri Hub” near the Minsk metro station. Additionally, the team of cynologists and psychologists regularly visits hospitals with the animals.
“When military personnel first arrive at the hospital, they are often very closed off from communication. The psychologist asks them: ‘Guys, do you have any questions, perhaps some internal struggles?’ and they usually sit like this, closed off, arms and legs crossed, saying: ‘We’re fine.’ However, to communicate with a dog, they need to open up a bit because we offer them treats to give to the dogs. And the dogs also motivate them: they come over, put their paws up, and say, ‘Come pet me,’ or bring a ball,” says Marina Prokopenko.
1 Four dogs are part of the canine therapy team: an Australian Shepherd named Oleksandra (or simply Sanya), a Malinois named Barcelona (Barca), a Miniature Schnauzer named Freya, and the “designer” Chelsea.
“It's very interesting that people with various diagnoses and traumas choose different dogs. Since we are fortunate to have four distinct dogs in our team – a very slow, very tactile, very sensitive Chelsea, a very cheerful, motivating Sanya, a very serious Barca, and little Freya. Military personnel select different dogs. Some say: ‘I don’t know how to communicate with big dogs; I’ll choose Freya.’ Those with a more depressive state usually choose Chelsea, as they need more tactile and calm interaction, while others say: ‘No, I only want Barca.’ And from the choice of dog and the type of interaction they prefer – whether giving commands or cuddling – the psychologist can roughly understand what issues the person is facing. Generally, dogs motivate people to communicate with the psychologist. Because many guys, especially in the first session, say: ‘Well, we actually just came for the dogs.’ But since the psychologist is there, and they also interact with them and the dogs, many later say: ‘Can I sign up for an individual session?’” – Marina shared.
Dogs
2 Dogs participating in canine therapy are specifically selected and trained – not every animal wants or can constantly interact with different people. Therefore, four-legged “therapists” undergo several tests and training stages.
“A dog can be tested in puppyhood, but as it grows, many changes occur, so we usually test closer to a year. This initial testing helps us see whether the dog will thrive in this work, whether interacting with people in such numbers will harm it, and whether it could harm a person if a challenging situation arises. There are exercises during which we stress the dog and observe its behavior – we touch, lift its paws, and touch its ears, muzzle, and sides, as some dogs may not enjoy tactile contact,” explains the cynologist.
If a dog successfully passes the initial test, it begins training, which lasts from six months to a year.
“Then it undergoes a more comprehensive testing process. Recently, we became members of the PADA team (Personality Assessment of Domestic Animals), which includes 16 countries, and if a dog passes this testing, it receives a certificate confirming its eligibility to work in canine therapy,” shares Marina Prokopenko.
A “therapist” can be any breed of dog or even a mixed breed, like our familiar Chelsea. The main requirement is to have a stable psyche and a love for interacting with people.
“Chelsea loves people very much; she is very sensitive and always chooses a person who is internally struggling. If the guys in the hospital don’t say anything, and Chelsea comes over and snuggles, the psychologist already understands that this person has some internal trauma and is in pain,” says Marina.
Yulia TENENYOVA