Canine-Assisted Interventions: A Comprehensive Guide to Credentialing Therapy Dog Teams

241 Pages·2019·9.191 MB·English

by  John-Tyler Binfet, Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig

“Based on the latest scientific research, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand
Hartwig have produced a unique and important guide to the implementation of canine-
assisted interventions in settings ranging from classrooms and retirement facilities to
mental health clinics and college campuses. The book is a veritable how-to manual,
covering topics such as the selection and training of handlers and dogs, the assessment
of dog/handler team effectiveness, and therapy animal welfare. This book is a must-
read for anyone involved with animal-assisted intervention programs.”
—Hal Herzog, PhD, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat:
Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals, USA
“Drawing on a wealth of experience, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand
Hartwig provide a comprehensive review of what is known about canine-assisted
interventions (CAIs) and give essential information on best practice and how to
credential therapy dog teams, ensuring the well-being of the dogs. CAI organizations
and those interested in becoming a CAI team must read this book.”
—Anthony L. Podberscek, editor in chief, Anthrozoös, Australia
“Canine-Assisted Interventions is an essential guide to all those involved in delivering
and researching canine-assisted interventions. It provides evidence-based guidelines
for professional practice, building upon current international research evidence and
professional practice guides. The combination of up-to-date scientific evidence on
canine-assisted intervention and professional experience has led to a sourcebook that
every practitioner involved in canine-assisted intervention should use. Canine-assisted
intervention practice is growing rapidly around the world, and this book provides a
much-needed guide to credentialing teams and ensuring our practice benefits our
human clients while ensuring the welfare of the dogs we work with.”
—Jo Williams, professor of applied developmental psychology,
University of Edinburgh, UK
“In Canine-Assisted Interventions, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig
bring together a groundbreaking, thorough, and detailed guide to the assessment and
credentialing of dog and handler teams. This long-overdue resource is a much-needed
and indispensable resource for individuals and organizations engaged in the work of
animal-assisted interventions. Binfet and Hartwig articulate a clear and thorough
evidence-based approach to animal-assisted intervention that will significantly
advance this growing field of research and practice.”
—James Gillett, associate dean of research,
McMaster University, Canada

Canine-Assisted Interventions
Covering principles of therapy dog team training, assessment, skills, and
ongoing monitoring, Canine-Assisted Interventions provides guidance on the
most evidence-based methods for therapy dog team welfare, training, and
assessment.
The authors offer a linear approach to understanding all aspects of the
screening, assessment, and selection of dog/handler teams by exploring
the journey of dog therapy teams from assessment of canines and handlers
to the importance of ongoing monitoring, recredentialing, and retirement.
In addition to reviewing key findings within the field of human-animal
interactions, each chapter emphasizes skills on both the human and dog ends
of the leash and makes recommendations for research-informed best practices.
To support readers, the book culminates with checklists and training resources
to serve as a quick reference for readers.
This book will be of great interest for practitioners, in-service professionals,
and researchers in the fields of canine-assisted interventions and counseling.
John-Tyler Binfet, PhD, is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education
at the University of British Columbia, where he is the director of the Building
Academic Retention through K9s program. (B.A.R.K.; barkubc.ca).
Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig, PhD, LPC-S, LMFT, RPT-S, is an associate
professor in the Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University.
She is the founder and director of the Texas State University Animal-Assisted
Counseling Academy (aac-academy.clas.txstate.edu).

Canine-Assisted Interventions
A Comprehensive Guide to Credentialing
Therapy Dog Teams
John-Tyler Binfet and
Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig
First published 2020
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2020 John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig
The right of John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig
to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-33830-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-33831-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-43605-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Goudy
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
John-Tyler Binfet:
This book is dedicated to Frances Binfet, both a rescue and a
rescuer.
Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig:
This book is dedicated to my parents, Bill and Leslie Kjellstrand,
who have supported my love for animals in many ways, and to
my therapy dog, Ruggles, for teaching me the true purpose of
counseling.

Contents
List of Figures xii
List of Tables xiv
List of Boxes xv
Meet the Authors xvi
1 Introduction 1
The Surge in Popularity of CAIs 2
Challenges in the Field of CAIs 9
CAI Terminology 10
Clarifying the CAI Team Credentialing Process 14
Overview of Chapters 14
Conclusion 15
2 What Are Canine-Assisted Interventions? 19
Scenario 19
Foundations of HAIs 20
Human-Animal Bond 20
Theoretical Explanations for HAIs 21
Benefits of CAIs 23
Contraindications of AAIs 28
Types of HAIs With Canines 29
Conclusion 37
3 What Makes a Strong and Effective Canine-Assisted
Intervention Team? 42
Scenario 43
CAI Organizations 43
The Importance of Published Criteria 44
Understanding Trends in Volunteering 44