A mixed-methods feasibility study of dog-assisted exercise therapy in geriatric inpatients

Is adding a therapy dog to exercise therapy feasible and acceptable for older inpatients in rehabilitation, and does it change mobility or mood?

27 geriatric inpatients in a two-week inpatient rehabilitation program (11 of them also interviewed)

Exploratory mixed-methods, two-arm randomized — what this means parallel-group trial: dog-assisted exercise therapy vs. standard exercise therapy over two weeks, with embedded semi-structured interviews

• Mobility on the Timed Up and Go was similar between groups (control median 16.00, IQR 14.25–22.50; dog-assisted median 18.00, IQR 13.00–20.50)
• Depressive symptoms (HADS-D) differed by only 0.2 points between groups, 95% CI — what this means -3.2 to 3.6 — not clinically meaningful
• Motivation and satisfaction ratings were high in both groups, and the two were strongly correlated (ρ = 0.65, p < .001)
• Interviews described strong acceptance, better emotional well-being, more social interaction and engagement linked to the dog's presence

In this small feasibility — what this means trial, dog-assisted exercise therapy was well accepted and appeared to support engagement and psychosocial experience, but showed no short-term advantage for mobility or depressive symptoms.