Dogs Aid Students’ Stress

The University of Lynchburg’s annual doggies on the dell event took place on May 7 to help students cope with stress from finals.

For two hours, a part of the dell was sectioned off so students could play with over a dozen dogs owned by professors and other community members.

At doggies on the dell, the tension from exams visibly declined as students were able to relax and have fun interacting with the dogs.

Kristen Cooper, the director of residence life and organizer of doggies on the dell, said, “Sheer happiness and joy comes over the students. You know folks’ eyes light up during the event. The students have the ability to take their mind off of the work that they’re doing, the stress of studying for exams, and just hang out.”

Several studies illustrate that interacting with animals can reduce stress and anxiety.

Human-animal interaction reduces distress by:

· Encouraging lifestyle changes by increased motivation to walk or play

· Enhanced socialization through interacting with the animal and also can increase interactions with other people

· Improving general well being

· Increases feeling of happiness through bonding with the animal

Emotional support animals have increased in many public settings, such as airports, which showcases the increasing dependency on animals for support.

Figure 1 and 2: https://sophia.stkate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1152&context=msw_papers Figure 3: https://news.delta.com/delta-introduces-enhanced-requirements-customers-traveling-service-or-support-animals-effective

Bringing dogs to college campuses is incredibly cost effective since the owners are volunteering their time.

Events that encourage human-animal interaction, such as doggies on the dell, can support a larger number of people than counseling sessions, which enables universities to make a beneficial impact on more students during stressful periods.

Students at the University of Lynchburg feel that being able to play with dogs outside is a much needed break from finals preparation.

Kristopher Forren, a junior at the University of Lynchburg, said “Wow, I was so stressed and now I’m not.”

Besides the animal interaction, there is an additional social benefit to doggies on the dell.

Cooper said, “The other kind of benefit was a great opportunity for faculty and staff to interact with students outside of the classroom.”

University of Lynchburg staff are able to bring their dogs to work and chat in a much more informal setting with students.