Medical studies have consistently shown that patients benefit from therapy dog visits. One recent study of 59 adults showed that following a therapy dog visit their energy levels increased, respiratory rated calmed significantly and pain scores decreased by over 20 per cent. Mood scores improved by over 60 per cent with the patients feeling less tense, anxious, angry, tied depressed and dejected. Now in ''A Doctor's Guide to Dog Therapy and Healing'', Dr. Dawn Marcus showcases the wide range of research that shows the therapeutic and healing power of people of all ages and with a wide range of health conditions. These research findings are brought to life through the personal stories of healing from dog owners across the United States and Canada. She shows you how to unleash the healing power of your own dog, describes how to effectively add a dog to the home of someone with a chronic condition, explains how the family dog can help with chronic health conditions, and teaches how to train a companion dog to be a certified therapy dog to help others. ''A Doctor's Guide to Dog Therapy and Healing'' will be of interest to dog owners, people wondering how to help family and friends coping with chronic illnesses, and individuals considering training their dogs for therapy work. Special features of ''A Doctor's Guide to Dog Therapy and Healing'' include: presentation of reliable medical research showing that dog therapy offers therapeutic benefits to people; first - person accounts from service dog trainers, aerobic instructors, and recognized dog training experts such as Carol Lea Benjamin; first - person accounts of people who have experience dog therapy; practical suggestions to help people decide if they should add a dog to their home as opposed to having a service come visit with one; sound advice to help people decide if dog therapy is right for them; and practical tips on how to make dog therapy visits safe, effective, and successful for the dog, handler, and people visited.