Canine Therapy

Canine therapy is a specialised field concerned with the therapeutic and assistive roles that dogs play in human health and wellbeing. Dogs have been used in therapeutic and support contexts for decades, from assistance dogs for people with disabilities to animal-assisted therapy in hospitals, schools and care settings, and the evidence base for their effectiveness continues to grow. Understanding how to work in this field requires a combination of canine behaviour science, animal welfare expertise, psychological understanding of therapeutic processes and the practical skills to train, assess and place dogs in therapeutic roles.

At Anglia Ruskin University, this three-year full-time degree develops your knowledge across canine behaviour, learning theory and training methods, the science of the human-animal bond, the application of animals in therapeutic and educational settings, animal welfare and ethics, and the professional and safeguarding frameworks that govern this kind of work. You will develop practical skills in animal handling and assessment alongside your theoretical understanding, and you will engage with the research literature on the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions. The programme takes a rigorous and evidence-based approach to a field that has sometimes lacked that foundation.

Graduates from this degree move into careers in animal-assisted therapy and education, assistance dog training and assessment, animal welfare organisations, therapeutic settings including schools, hospitals and care homes, and roles with organisations that manage working dogs in support and therapeutic contexts. The degree also provides a foundation for further study in animal behaviour, clinical or educational psychology, occupational therapy or veterinary science, and for professional roles that combine animal expertise with health and social care knowledge. It is a degree that prepares you for a field that is growing in recognition and professional structure.