School-Based Social Training with and without Dogs: Evaluation of Their Effectiveness

Abstract

This study examined the effects of different training methods on social behavior, empathy, and aggression (open and relational) in children (third-graders) at several intervals. There were three experimental conditions: “Social training without dogs,” “Social training with dogs,” and “Dog attendance without social training.” The project was carried out in three elementary schools— three classes per school (total of 230 children)—over a period of 10 weeks. The assignment of experimental conditions to classes within each school was random. There were ten training sessions (90 minutes each): one session per week. The class teachers and pupils filled in questionnaires before the start of training and after the completion of the 10-week program, and the pupils did so once again three weeks after that. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance for repeated measures on one factor. The respective initial values were incorporated into the computation as covariates. The teacher's survey revealed a significant improvement in pupils' social behavior, irrespective of program. The pupils showed a significant increase in empathy, irrespective of program; however, the effect was not stable over time. A significant advantage with respect to open and relational aggression was demonstrated by the “Social training with dogs” program over the other two alternatives.