You’ve probably heard many times that having a pet at home helps you reduce stress and increase your level of happiness and tranquility. Experts have investigated this claim, and in many cases, they have concluded that it is true.
In this particular case, a group of students from the Complutense University of Madrid have carried out a project, called “Compludog,” which consists of assisted therapies with shelter dogs to treat stress in university students during exam periods. It is primarily focused on first-year students.
This innovative educational project aims to improve performance and reduce the anxiety and stress that students experience during their university years through contact with animals.
This initiative was designed by Diana Peña, a UCM student, who proposed it in her master’s final project. However, once the proposal was made, the Affinity Foundation and the Faculty of Education of the Complutense University of Madrid wanted to promote this project and put it into practice.
“The mere presence of dogs in the classroom creates a relaxing situation because it’s a context where we don’t usually see them,” says Maribel Vila, head of therapies at the Affinity Foundation.
Contact with Animals
The practice of this project involves performing exercises between students and dogs, and evaluating the endocrine responses from both physical contact through petting and hugging, and emotional contact. Stress is regulated through the level of capillary cortisol in people, which allows you to see if stress has been reduced after contact with the dog.
Mercedes García, a professor from the UCM’s Adaptive Pedagogy Research Group, emphasizes that “the project is in an evolutionary phase.” “It cannot be generalized yet, until the evidence is verified and quantitative data is obtained where levels of social relations and stress have changed,” Mercedes points out.
Program Phases
The project is developed in three sessions:
1st Session: This is the contact between students and dogs.
2nd Session: Students learn about animal communication and canine language.
3rd Session: This is the relaxation phase, allowing for emotional openness, thereby reducing internal stress.
As Mercedes García highlights, “quantitative results are not yet available, and will be verified at the end of the course.”
“During the course, students had the opportunity to address their fears and nerves through relaxation activities, which, among others, involved hugging dogs, creating a bond that will accompany them for life,” highlighted Maribel Vila.
Other foreign universities, such as Harvard University and the University of Bristol, have similar programs in their university courses, where the results are favorable. They allow students to control their emotional and social state with the help of animals.
Therefore, when you notice your child is nervous or you yourself are stressed from work, try to take some time with your dog. Pet him, hug him, and he will help you relax and approach things with more enthusiasm. This is just advice, it doesn’t mean it always works, but according to previous studies, it is proving effective in many cases. In any case, it is always recommended to speak with a specialist if you have doubts.