Monty is arguably the most important student at Yale Law School. He spends his days in the library, working hard, and making a difference.
While his paws might make it a bit too difficult to turn the pages of the books in the library, his daily routine is one that many students say they just couldn’t live without. Monty (pictured below) is a border terrier mix, available to be checked out by Yale Law students for thirty minute sessions of “puppy stress relief.”
Real college students around the country are seeking real solutions to remedy their off-the-charts levels of stress and anxiety surrounding busy schedules, rigorous course loads, and concerns about their future careers. While the task can feel impossible, the scientific community is beginning to release research that encourages a very cute solution.
As an emphasis on mental health and self-care becomes more popular, stress therapy puppies and dogs are sweeping the nation by storm, wagging their tails and slobbering on the face of a brain-fried Chemical Engineering major or Law professor.
Psychology Today explains that bonding with a dog through pats and pets can have tremendous effects on the human body, including lowering blood pressure, providing a means for healthy socialization, and sending messages to a panicking brain that everything will be alright. Even better, the American Journal of Cardiology explains that “the affectionate bond and social support caused by dogs [reduces] stress, and stress is a major contributor to cardiovascular problems.”
A study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference also provided some compelling evidence about the benefits of spending time with a furry friend. Researchers tested a group of male and female stockbrokers, who were candidates to receive blood pressure medication for symptoms resulting from their stressful occupations. When the participants bonded with a dog and took a stress test with the pet close to them, their rises in stress-related blood pressure was half as large as individuals who were placed in a stressful situation without one.
Campuses and businesses around the country are catching on and doing everything they can in order to provide their students and workers with some much-needed quality time with man’s best friend. UC Riverside and Oberlin College are among the dozens of schools that have been recognized for having especially successful puppy therapy programs. They students with specially trained dogs in hopes of providing some relaxation, and say that the reduction in reported stress has been magnificent.
Therapy Animals of Utah has even been known to visit the University of Utah union with dogs ready help students make it through finals week. It just might be the perfect way to clear your mind when the going gets ruff.