142 Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis Studia Naturae, 3: 142–151, 2018, ISSN 2543-8832 DOI: 10.24917/25438832.3.11 Zuzana Frajtová, Marcela Kocianová-Adamcová* Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, *marcela.adamcova@umb.sk Canistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a grammar school The positive effect of animal on humans has been known since the beginning of the domestication of animals. With the help of animals, it is possible to influence a wide range of human physical and mental problems, which are caused especially by the modern way of life and by the disconnexion from nature. This paper presents an over- view of one of the forms of zootherapy – canistherapy, which exploits the positive influence of dogs on both physical and mental health of humans. Since the dog is the oldest domesticated animal, during its cohabitation with man, it has learned to read the body language of humans and is also able to feel men´s conditions. Canistherapy is currently slowly getting into the public awareness; however, in Slovakia, this process is hampered mainly due to the lack of information and scientific research but also because of the lack of willingness or distrust of its application in practice. This work compares the changes in the behaviour and level of knowledge of 12 to 13 year-old students at a grammar school in Slovakia after the implementation of the canistherapy into the teaching process. Canistherapy sessions were focused on the development and changes in social behaviour, emotional expressions, and the knowl- edge of the students. These areas were continuously monitored and finally evaluated by questionnaires and interviews. We analysed the effect of Animal Assisted Education (AAE) form of canistherapy, which helped us to establish the dog’s positive impact on the mental conditions of 12 to 13 year-old students. The experimental group (class A) where canistherapy was applied consisted of 28 students (Fig. 1A), while the control group (class B), where the training was conducted without the presence of dogs, consisted of 27 students. Canistherapy in the selected class was realised by canistherapist Mgr. Martina Michalková with her four therapy dogs, Eila, a 15-year-old West White Highland Ter- rier (WWHT), Kloe, a 3-year-old WWHT breed, Keri, an 11-year-old WWHT breed, and Elfin, a 10-year-old Samoyed female. All dogs are certified and have previously completed regular canistherapeutic trials (Fig. 1B). C anistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a gram m ar school 143 Fig. 1. The students of the experimental class A with the therapy dogs (A); Martina Michalková and her ther- apy dogs from a civic association “The meaning of life” (B) (Photo. T. Čontofalský) Zu za na F ra jto vá , M ar ce la K oc ia no vá -A da m co vá 144 Tab. 1. Overview of the topics that have been taught during the research in class A Month Topics September basic information about civic association "The meaning of life" establishment of the rules during a work with animlas information about choosing and traing a dog October vital expressions and animal behaviour November animal reproduction January Canistherapy February welfare of the dogs March protection of the wildlife animals April revision of the knowledge and checking the feedback Tab. 2. The comparison of the acquired knowledge from biology of class A (with canistherapy) and class B (control group) during the analysed research period No. Question/order Answer Class An = 25 Class B n = 24 1. Write examples of inappropriate human behavior towards the dogs 3 examples and more 3 examples and more 2 examples and less 25 25 0 5 5 19 2. Which protected animal is directly threatened by thermal insulation of panel houses? correct incorrect 25 0 7 17 3. How can dogs communicate with each other? 2 examples and more 1 example 25 0 10 14 4. Have you heard about the concept of canistherapy? If yes, briefly char- acterise it. yes, I have no, I have not 25 0 14 10 5. Which senses are well developed in carnivores? correct incorrect correct incorrect 24 1 24 0 20 4 20 46. Who has more bones in the body – a dog or a man? 7. Write at least 3 examples of protect-ed animals in Slovakia 3 examples and more 2 examples and less 22 3 16 8 8. What types of behavior can we ob-serve in mammals? 3 examples and more 2 examples and less 20 5 16 8 9. After how many weeks can be a puppy taken from his mother? correct incorrect 18 7 10 14 10. What is the difference in a set of teeth between the herbivores and carnivores? correct incorrect 18 7 10 14 The research was conducted twice a month from September 2015 to April 2016. After consulting with the biology teacher, the topics that were taught in class A were covered within the curriculum for the 7th year of a grammar school (Tab. 1). The initial lessons were focused on basic information about the civic association “The meaning of life”, the canistherapeutical team and its work. To compare the acquired knowledge from the biology of class A and class B during the research period, a short test consist- C anistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a gram m ar school 145 ing of 10 questions was used (Tab. 2). A total of 25 students participated in class A and 24 students in class B. The content of the lesson was the same in both classes, but the method of presentation was different. While in class B there was a classic explanation, in class A there was an experience learning in which the students were actively involved. To determine the impact of canistherapy on class A students, a questionnaire method was used which consisted of five open-ended questions and 23 students at- tended it (Tab. 3). The aim was to find out the subjective attitudes of students and their perception of canistherapy. To demonstrate the impact of canistherapy on inadaptable students, we interviewed the biology teacher and the canistherapist. The questionnaire showed that the experimental group (class A) had different re- sults than the control group (class B). The exact numbers of the answers can be found in table 2. However, the positive influence of dogs was not only didactic but also psy- chological. Evidence is provided by questionnaires filled in by students from class A and by the teacher, which clearly showed the positive effect of canistherapy on the psy- chic aspect of the students. A summary of the students’ answers can be found in table 3. The students stated that, thanks to the lessons with the dogs, they were able to better remember the new information (44%). Learning with dogs helped the students to re- alise how to behave correctly to animals and nature (35%), and it also brought new experiences and knowledge (48%). They also understood and memorised the curric- ulum (17%). All the students said that they would very much like to continue with this form of teaching. They were most interested in the following topics: animal care (especially information about the bears and bats – 31%), canistherapy (demonstration of positioning – 25%) (Fig. 2A, B), animal reproduction (21%) and others. In the questionnaire, the teacher stated that her opinion on the usage of the dogs in the educational process is definitely positive. At the beginning of the meetings, the teacher was afraid that students would be disrespectful and undisciplined when the dogs would suddenly appear in the classroom. However, the result was opposite. During the meetings, she watched her students closely, and she was very surprised that they were much quieter, more impressed with the curriculum, and engaged in the discussions and activities, even though they had to be forced into such matters be- fore. According to the teacher, a great contribution of these lessons was the arousal of empathy, of interest in nature, and the possibility of physical contact with the animal (Tab. 3). In her opinion, the physical contact is absent among today’s youth. Since the parents are often busy, their absence is compensated by gifts, and not by real contact and time spent with their children. The meetings with animals at least partially re- placed the absence of such contact. The dog‘s presence had both direct and indirect ef- fects, which means that children were directly involved when dogs were present at the lesson but also when dogs were not there, because the students were looking forward to the next meeting and were discussing their experiences with them. Zu za na F ra jto vá , M ar ce la K oc ia no vá -A da m co vá 146 Tab. 3. The impact of canistherapy on students of class A No. Question/order Answer Type [%] n = 23 1. How do you perceive the fact that the dogs were making you a company during the lesson? It helped me overcome my own fear of dogs 4 I liked it, it was a nice dulcification of the day 17 The meetings were very reassuring 35 Using the dogs during the lesson helped me to better remember the new information 44 2. What has the learning with the dogs given to you? New experiences and knowledge 35 Finding out how to behave right to animals and nature 48 Better understanding and memorizing of the curriculum 17 4. Would you like the dogs to continue to be part of the class? The answers of the students showed that all of them would very much like to continue with this form of teaching 100 5. Write in brief what you learned during these lessons Animal welfare (especially information about the bears and bats) 31 Canistherapy (and demonstration of positioning) 25 Animal reproduction 21 How do animals behave and how we should treat them 16 The students learned that the foreknowledge of nature is very important 7 During the meetings, the teacher has informed us about an inappropriate student in the experimental class (class A). This student has no proper diagnosis from an ex- pert because of lack of willingness from his parents to pursue the matter, and that is why our results are based only on observations. We decided to find out whether the sessions will be beneficial for him and will improve his performance during classes. His behaviour was carefully monitored during the sessions and at the end evaluated. Before the meetings, the student was very sensitive and moody. He was usually absent-minded and unable to concentrate for a longer time. It was necessary to lecture and warn him and, as a consequence, the teaching process was slowed down for the whole classroom. The results of both teachers and canistherapists evaluations showed that there was a marked improvement in his behaviour before and during the can- istherapy. In spite of the initial nervousness, the student quickly established a very strong relationship with the dogs. He was in contact with them constantly. From the time they came until they left the classroom, he was holding, hugging, and caressing them. He engaged in the activities and, after the end of the lesson, he continued asking the canistherapist for her personal experiences with dogs. Suddenly, he was able to focus more on the curriculum as well as on the overall happenings in the classroom. C anistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a gram m ar school 147 His improvement has been beneficial for the whole classroom, so the achieved results could be evaluated as positive. One of the intentions of the research was to verify how the presence of dogs influ- ences the ability of students to better memorise the curriculum. It was about targeted contacts of students with the animals, particularly focusing on the modification of education and upbringing. The animal itself played the role of some kind of support- ive medium which motivates to engage in various educational activities (Velemínsky, 2007). De Anda (2001) points out the fact that special education in the form of a visitor program offers students, among other things, the possibility of a regular con- tact with another model of an adult, which can lead to many educational, social, and emotional benefits for students. Levinson (1997) claims that the dog does not act as a co-therapist during canistherapeutic activities but as a therapist itself that is in good agreement with our observations. This creates a strong bond between the client and the canistherapeutical dog, which is based on emotions, understanding, and help, whether emotional or physical. According to Tichá (2002), dogs in the canistherapy process can be directly involved in the activities, being a motivational factor. For some students, attending a school represents a significant emotional stress, which can be demonstrated not only in their behaviour, but also in their ability to receive and pro- cess the curriculum. For this reason, a dog can serve as a suitable medium for releasing and eliminating stress. We are inclines to the opinion of Tichá (2002), because, during the canistherapeu- tic sessions, we observed that the dog was a very strong motivating element for fulfill- ing the activities and a great motivation for learning. It was proved by the results of the comparative sciental test between classes A and B, where class A students overtopped their class B classmates with higher number of the correct answers (Tab. 2). Students declared themselves that the lessons with dogs were much more inter- esting for them than typical lessons. That is why we assumed better results in the test were caused by students´ higher motivation in the teaching process. As Piper (2014) claims, students are often stressed by teachers, which may be reflected in their learning achievements. However, in the presence of a dog, this stress disappears, and it is shown that dogs can help the students to improve their knowledge by up to two degrees. In the second part of the research, we dealt with the influence of canistherapy on the mental state of the students. It is possible to assess that the results from the research during canistherapeutic meetings and from the questionnaires confirmed the results of other experts dealing with canistherapy. Wilson (1993) discusses the importance of a bond between man and animal, which is natural from historical and biological points of view, but it is often forgotten these days. The author emphasizes that contact with animals enriches us and helps us to develop, and as children are naturally fascinated by nature, and contact with the animal is a good way to raise their interest. Sitková Zu za na F ra jto vá , M ar ce la K oc ia no vá -A da m co vá 148 Fig. 2. Demonstration of the positioning (A); demonstration of a work and communication with the canistherapeutical dog (B) (Photo. Z. Frajtova) C anistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a gram m ar school 149 (2010) documented the progress made by zootherapists during their practice. As one of the greatest advances, she clearly marked the overcoming of fear of the animals, the improved communication skills, and the total relaxation of children. In general, all the components of children‘s personality improved, and they were able to keep attention longer. Our results were in good agreement with these findings, as the canistherapy helped several students to overcome anxiety and fear of dogs. According to the biology teacher’s assessment, who is also the class teacher of class A, there was an obvious de- velopment of the social behaviour, emotions, communication skills, and knowledge of all the students. Students whom she usually sees as withdrawn and quiet were sudden- ly communicative and livelier than ever during the lessons with the dogs assistance. The presence of a dog in the class automatically decreases the shyness that could be felt by the students against the canistherapist in the absence of the canistherapeutical dogs (Ellis et al., 2001). It is natural that children are reserved in a presence of an unknown person. Thus, it was a great surprise to see how friendly and immediate the students be- have to the canistherapist. We attribute that to the presence of the dogs in the classroom. The third part of our survey provides information about the impact of animal as- sisted education on an inadaptable student. There were visible changes in the behav- iour of the inadaptable student, manifested in improved communication skills, longer concentration, calmer behaviour, and interest in the classroom happening. A dog can help to the inadaptable students to improve their speaking skills, memory or vocabu- lary (Kollus, 1999). According to Hilbertová (2009), the presence of an animal helps to link up the immediate contact between the teacher and the child. Moreover, it can create the atmosphere of confidence and helps to reduce the student’s inappropriate behaviour. Students who are often negativist and passive are influenced by canisthera- py by improving interhuman relationships, reducing aggression, and developing com- munication skills (Odendaal, 2007). Frank (2001) discusses the fact that teachers have strict rules on physical contact with students. However, this contact may be needed from time to time. For this reason, the presence of a dog during the teaching process is beneficial, because the child can caress and hug the dog. Our research confirmed that canistherapy is an effective way to strengthen the boy’s mental state in the conditions of the school environment, to dismantle sadness in the short term, to help improving concentration, to damp problematic behaviour, to raise interest in the lesson, and to improve interhuman relationships. Conclusion The work was focused on canistherapy and its usage at school facilities. The main aim was to find out and describe the influence of education with assistance dogs on students of a selected class of a grammar school through direct observation, question- Zu za na F ra jto vá , M ar ce la K oc ia no vá -A da m co vá 150 naires, and test. A sciental test that compared the knowledge of the experimental class A (with canistherapy) and the control class B (without canistherapy) students at the end of the research period confirmed the presumption that canistherapeutical ses- sions positively influenced the memorisation of curriculum and also acted as a moti- vation for students to learn. Questionnaires filled by class A students and their biology teacher clearly demonstrated the positive effect of canistherapy on the mental aspect of students. After the end of the canistherapeutical sessions, a positive change of be- haviour occurred in the students. They were quieter, more active, and more focused on work tasks, and some individuals were able to overcome their fear of dogs. Observing class A students revealed that the canistherapeutical sessions were important, not only for the group, but also for individuals. In the behaviour of the inadaptable student, there were visible changes, such as better communication, longer concentration, calm- er behaviour, and interest in classroom happening. Subsequent analysis of the results confirmed that canistherapy has a positive impact on individuals and is a valuable supportive method for improving social behaviour, mental health, and communica- tion abilities in children. However, canistherapy is inhibited from increased develop- ment and wider use because of a non-existent uniform methodology for canistherapy performance, the lack of professional literature, outdated legislation, and mistrust in application in practice. We believe that the obtained results and findings could act as a tool for other school institutions which are considering canistherapeutical sessions. References de Anda, D. (2001). A qualitative evaluation of a mentor program for at-risk youth: The participants perspective. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 18, 97–117. Ellis, J., Small-McGinley, J., De Fabrizio, L. (2001). Caring for kids in communities: Using mentorship, peer support, & student leadership programs in schools. New York: Counterpoints. Hilbertová, L. (2009). Felinoterapie a canisterapie v zařizení pro výkon ústavní výchovy. In: Pravda o zoot- erapiích: sborník příspěvků z odborné konference s mezinárodní účastí. České Budějovice. [In Czech] Kollus, B. (1999). The Feline Gift. In Cats Magazine, roč. 55: 10. DOI: 0008-8544/ 36. Levinson, B. (1997). Pet-oriented psychotherapy. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. Odendaal, J. (2007). Zvířata a naše mentální zdraví. Praha: Nakladatelství Brázda, s.r.o., p. 173. [In Czech] Piper, L. (2014). The practice of animal-assisted psychotherapy: An innovative modality for facilitating men- tal wellness. USA: E Street Lane Publications LLC, p. 31. Sitková, T. (2010). Využití canisterapie u dětí. Olomouc, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2010. [In Czech] Tichá, V. (2002). Otazníky kolem canisterapie. Pes přítel člověka. 3: 32. [In Czech] Velemínský, M. (2007). Zooterapie ve světle objektivních poznatků. České Budějovice: Nakladatelství Dona, pp. 32–33. [In Czech] Wilson, E.O. (1984). Biophilia: The human bond with other species. England: Harvard University Press, Cambridge. C anistherapy and its application to the teaching process at a gram m ar school 151 Canisterapia i jej zastosowanie w procesie nauczania w szkole średniej Streszczenie Analizy koncentrują się na zastosowaniu i  wdrożeniu canisterapii (kynoterapii) w  procesie nauczania w  szkole średniej. Głównym celem badań było porównanie wpływu edukacji uczniów z  udziałem i  bez udziału psów. Narzędziami badawczymi były ankiety i test oraz bezpośrednia obserwacja. Populacja badaw- cza obejmowała uczniów w wieku 12–13 lat. Porównywano efekt terapii między dwiema grupami uczniów: eksperymentalną objętą canisterapią (klasa A, 28 uczniów), kontrolną (klasa B, 27 uczniów), bez caniste- rapii. Badania przeprowadzono dwa razy w okresie od września 2015 roku do kwietnia 2016 roku. Ankiety wykazały, że sesje canisterapii pozytywnie wpłynęły na zapamiętywanie programu nauczania, a także były motywacją do nauki. Ponadto zauważalny był pozytywny wpływ canisterapii na mentalną stronę uczniów. Uczniowie byli bardziej aktywni i skoncentrowani na zadaniach dydaktycznych. Niektórzy uczniowie prze- zwyciężyli również wrodzony strach przed psami. Bezpośrednie obserwacje uczniów na zajęciach wykazały, że sesje z użyciem psów były ważne nie tylko dla całej grupy, ale także dla poszczególnych osób. Key words: canistherapy, animaltherapy, Animal Assisted Education, teaching process, grammer school Received: [2018.02.02] Accepted: [2018.09.24]