Enhance Relationships With the Help of a Dog Through Animal-Assisted Therapy (ATT)
No relationship is perfect, and every couple experiences at least a few common challenges in building trust, learning effective communication skills, and resolving conflicts. Overcoming these challenges strengthens the relationship and sets the couple up to conquer future obstacles in a healthy way.
But have you ever considered how dogs help enhance relationships? Having a dog as a pet or participating in animal-assisted therapy offers several benefits for couples.
It’s Easier To Practice Talking to a Pet
Knowing how to have difficult conversations with a partner is important to maintaining a strong and healthy relationship. Instead of saying something you regret in the heat of the moment, you can practice having challenging conversations with a pet during animal-assisted therapy, giving you the opportunity to plan what you will say and how you will word it.
For couples with pets, speaking to their dog rather than talking directly to their partner might take some of the pressure off tough conversations. Each partner can voice their concerns to the dog while the other partner listens.
Dogs Provide Assurance and Emotional Support
In animal-assisted therapy, dogs provide assurance, emotional comfort, and nonjudgmental support. This makes it easier for couples to open up and be vulnerable within the therapy session, which is important to conflict resolution and building relationship trust.
Having a dog in the room offers nonverbal reassurance that helps clients feel calm and supported. This helps couples feel more comfortable talking about sensitive issues and challenges they need to work through.
Dogs Model Healthy Relationship Behaviors
Another way dogs can enhance relationships, both in therapy sessions and as pets, is by modeling healthy relationship behaviors that couples might strive to incorporate into their partnerships. For example, dogs:
Trust their owners enough to act vulnerably around them
Provide unconditional love and support
Express secure attachment by knowing that their owners will return
Show consistent affection to their owners
Are attuned to their owners’ emotional cues
Communicate their needs clearly
When we see these behaviors modeled in dogs, we subconsciously remember them and are encouraged to demonstrate them in our relationships as well.
Dogs Encourage Emotional Bonding
Emotional bonding is the root of any healthy relationship. When couples share responsibility for a dog or go through animal-assisted therapy with a trained support animal, they receive subtle cues to bond with their partner.
For example, interacting with dogs releases oxytocin, known as the “bonding hormone.” This hormone encourages a sense of closeness and emotional connection. Dogs also create a safe environment for vulnerability and communication, inviting couples to share concerns and express emotions.
When couples care for a dog, they naturally must engage in enjoyable activities: walking the dog, playing with them, taking them to the dog park, etc. These fun, shared experiences foster emotional bonds in couples and reduce stress.
Schedule Animal-Assisted Therapy With Unleashed Counseling
Animal-assisted therapy can help you enhance relationships and provide a range of other therapeutic benefits. Schedule an intake session with Unleashed Counseling today and start building a healthier version of you.