WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Students at Otterbein University will have some new friends on campus to bond with throughout the fall semester.

What You Need To Know

• So far, having therapy dogs on campus have helped students deal with homesickness


• The program will look at the effect of dogs on students’ well-being and the reduction of stress


• Students are expected to see dogs on campus during midterms and final exams

Experimental Psychology Professor Cindy Laurie-Rose said the opportunity to have therapy dogs on campus evolved out of her time teaching a course on canine ergonomics. While looking at the relationship between humans and dogs, she said she and her students wanted to learn more about how humans work with dogs.

After holding a pilot program on campus in the spring where hundreds of students interacted with about a dozen dogs, they learned that students were grateful for the therapy dogs because they were homesick.

“And from that event, we collected some data informally on sort of, perception of stress and well-being before and after, with the students," said Laurie-Rose. "And we saw a clear decline in self-reported stress after the event.”

Laurie-Rose said it was also helpful for faculty and staff who may have been stressed. 

Now, as the program is taking off in its first full year on campus, Laurie-Rose said they’re hoping to evaluate the effect of dogs and how they promote well-being, and looking at their effect on well-being and reduction of stress.

Overall, she hopes students will continue to enjoy the dogs as the research continues on “typical college students that experience, you know, stress and depression, the ups and downs of life to see how dogs can impact that.”

Currently, students can expect to see dogs on campus during midterms and final exams.