Animal Assisted Intervention, 3 ECTS (PVS0153)

Last changed: 10 March 2025
Human hands on the shoulders of Labrador puppy.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI), a rapidly growing field with significant applications in healthcare, education, and therapy. Through lectures, group discussions, and hands-on assignments, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the effects of AAI on both humans and animals. Designed for PhD students and professionals interested in human-animal interactions, this course offers a unique opportunity to engage with leading researchers, develop research skills, and build an international network. As a NOVA course, we aim to reach participants from Nordic and Baltic universities, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Objective 

After completing the course the PhD students shall be able to:

  • Explain how animals are used to help humans in Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI).
  • Present some major scientific research results on the behavioural and physiological effects on humans when being in a programme with AAI.
  • Explain the effects on animals when they are used for AAI and discuss animal welfare issues related to the use of animals in AAI.
  • Develop and use protocols for recording animal and human behaviour in AAI.
  • Use physiological measurements, such as heart rate recordings, in AAI.

Content

The course will contain lectures from three international professors in the field of animal behaviour, veterinary medicine and human medicine or social science. They will attend during the whole week of the course and give start-up lectures, half a day lecture and end lecture. Some of the participants on the course will also give presentations about their research. We will also have practical work where we show how to use behavioural protocols, how to use heart rate recorders and how to collect saliva from dogs and horses. There will also be group discussions and one excursion. The PhD students are also expected to have prepared themselves before the course by reading three scientific papers. After the course they will have to write a report that will be examined by the course leaders.

Time and location

The course will be held in Hernquistsalen at SLU in Skara, Gråbrödragatan 7, from lunch 31st of March until lunch 4th of April. Accommodation is best to book through Booking.com or other on-line search engines. PhD students can book a room for 400 SEK/night in “Vita villan” which is on the same street as where the course will be held. To book a room e-mail service-skara@slu.se .

Apply

All PhD students and other participants must make an application no later than 23 of March 2025.

Teachers:

Marie-Jose Enders-Slegers, Professor emeritus in Anthrozoology at the Faculty of Psychology at the Open University, the Netherlands.

Ng Zenithson, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee, USA.

Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg, Professor emeritus in Physiology at Department of Applied Animal Science, SLU, Sweden.

Andrea M. Beetz, Professor for Special Education at the IUBH International University of Applied Sciences.

Ruth C. Newberry, Professor of Ethology in the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway. (NOVA collaborator at NMBU).

Petra Andersson, Researcher in practical philosophy at the Department for philosophy, linguistics and theory of science, University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Susanne von Dietze, Physiotherapist and riding instructor and author of several books and DVDs, including Rider & Horse Back to Back and Balance in Movement.

Sara Karlberg, CEO of Svenska Terapihundskolan, Strömsholm, Sweden. Practical training with Social service dogs.

Related pages: