Canine-Assisted Interventions

John-Tyler Binfet, PhD, is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, where he is the director of the Building Academic Retention through K9s program (B.A.R.K.; barkubc.ca).Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig, PhD, LPC-S, LMFT, RPT-S, is an associate professor in the Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University. She is the founder and director of the Texas State University Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy (aac-academy.clas.txstate.edu).

• 1. Introduction 2. What are Canine-Assisted Interventions? 3. What Makes a Strong and Effective Canine-Assisted Intervention Team? 4. Safeguarding the Welfare of Clients and Therapy Dogs 5. Best Practices in Canine-Assisted Intervention Team Training 6. Canine-Assisted Counseling: Preparing Teams for Clinical Work 7. Canine-Assisted Intervention Team Assessment 8. Assessment Consideration for Specialized Contexts 9. Credentialing, Re-credentialing, and Retirement 10. Future Directions in Canine-Assisted Interventions Appendices

"Based on the latest scientific research, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig have produced a unique and important guide to the implementation of canine-assisted interventions in settings ranging from classrooms and retirement facilities to mental health clinics and college campuses. The book is a veritable how-to manual, covering topics such as the selection and training of handlers and dogs, the assessment of dog/handler team effectiveness, and therapy animal welfare. This book is a must-read for anyone involved with animal-assisted intervention programs." — Hal Herzog, PhD, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals, USA "Drawing on a wealth of experience, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig provide a comprehensive review of what is known about canine-assisted interventions (CAIs) and give essential information on best practice and how to credential therapy dog teams, ensuring the wellbeing of the dogs. CAI organizations and those interested in becoming a CAI team must read this book." — Anthony L. Podberscek, editor in chief, Anthrozoös, Australia"Canine-Assisted Interventions is an essential guide to all those involved in delivering and researching canine-assisted interventions. It provides evidence-based guidelines for professional practice, building upon current international research evidence and professional practice guides. The combination of up-to-date scientific evidence on canine-assisted intervention and professional experience has led to a sourcebook that every practitioner involved in canine-assisted intervention should use. Canine-assisted intervention practice is growing rapidly around the world, and this book provides a much-needed guide to credentialing teams and ensuring our practice benefits our human clients while ensuring the welfare of the dogs we work with." — Jo Williams, professor of applied developmental psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK"In Canine-Assisted Interventions, John-Tyler Binfet and Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig bring together a groundbreaking, thorough, and detailed guide to the assessment and credentialing of dog and handler teams. This long overdue resource is a much needed and indispensable resource for individuals and organizations engaged in the work of animal-assisted interventions. Binfet and Hartwig articulate a clear and thorough evidence-based approach to animal-assisted intervention that will significantly advance this growing field of research and practice." — James Gillett, associate dean of research, McMaster University, Canada