狗对做治疗犬有何感想

石斯琳

Anyone who knows dogs probably knows the answer to this question.

懂狗的人大概知道这个问题的答案。

Some humans may think that dogs are reliant2 on us， but in truth， it may be the humans who are reliant on dogs. Of course， its actually a two-way street—like a good kind of co-dependent relationship. But one thing is certain： Dogs do a lot for us and should be rewarded3 with our respect.

有些人可能認为狗依赖我们，但事实也可能是人类依赖狗。当然了，这种依赖是双向的，更像是一种良好的互相依存关系。然而有一件事是可以肯定的，那就是狗为我们做出了太多贡献，值得我们尊敬。

In the United States， there are almost 90 million dogs who provide companionship4 as pets at home. There are also tens of thousands more who work as service dogs， or work in the military， or search and rescue， or who spend their days sniffing5 for drugs and explosives. And of course， there are the therapy dogs. These are sweet helpers. They can help people who have suffered everything from trauma6 and health conditions to dementia7.

在美国，大约有近9000万只狗在家里作为宠物陪伴主人。也有成千上万只狗作为服务犬、军犬、搜救犬或缉毒犬（靠嗅觉发现毒品和爆炸物），当然也少不了治疗犬。它们是贴心的小帮手。不管是经历创伤和有健康问题的人，还是患有痴呆症的病人，治疗犬都能帮助治愈。

There are more than 50，000 therapy dogs working in the United States. They do so much for us. So its only reasonable to ask： Do they enjoy the work？ It would be awful to think that they dont.

美国有5万多只治疗犬奋斗在一线。它们为人类做出的贡献如此之多，因此提出这个问题完全合乎情理：它们是否享受这份工作？如果不享受，那真是太可怕了。

Thankfully， a group of researchers has looked at the question. In the report， the team found that the dogs they study didnt seem to mind at all. And in fact， in most cases they seem to enjoy it.

值得庆幸的是，一个研究团队对这个问题进行了研究。报告中称，治疗犬们似乎并不在乎这份工作的苦累。实际上，它们更多时候是处于享受状态的。

The research centered around dogs visiting pediatric8 oncology9 patients from around the United States.

研究主要围绕全美儿科肿瘤病人身边的治疗犬展开。

The researchers determined stress by measuring10 levels of the stress hormone11， cortisol12， in the dogs saliva13. Samples were taken both at home and during therapy times. The team also analyzed the dogs behaviors.

研究人员通过狗唾液中的压力荷尔蒙——皮质醇的水平来确定治疗犬的压力状态。研究团队分别收集了治疗犬两个状态下的唾液样本：在家和治疗期间。同时，团队也分析了这些狗的行为。

Its said that the scientists found no difference between the study dogs cortisol levels at home and at the hospital. It meant that the therapy dogs were not particularly stressed.

根据报道，科学家们发现治疗犬在家中和医院两种状态下的压力并无差别（皮质醇检测结果相同）。这意味着治疗犬并没有感到特别有压力。

But does a lack of stress mean that they actually enjoyed the work？

但没有压力就意味着治疗犬们真的享受工作吗？

For the most part， yes！Although they apparently enjoyed some things more. For example， when a child talks to the dog or when the dog plays with its toy， the dogs appeared to be more friendly and happier.

是的，差不多可以这样说，尽管它们在做别的活动时明显会更享受。例如，当有小孩儿跟狗狗聊天或者狗狗在玩玩具的时候，它们会更友好、更开心。

The study leader Amy McCullough notes， “Its fair to say that some activities are more fun for the dog. This is good information for handlers—they can choose the activities that they think their dog would enjoy.”

该研究的带头人艾米·麦卡洛提到：“公平地说，对狗狗而言，有些活动比它们的工作更有趣。这对训练者来说是好消息——他们可以选择他们认为对治疗犬来说比较有趣的活动。”

This also brings up a good point. A lot of people think their perfect pet would be perfect for the job—but it has to ensure that the dog benefits as well.

这也为我们找到了一个好的切入点。很多人认为他们的完美宠物完全适合做治疗犬这份工作。但现在看来，需要确保狗狗自身也从中受益。

“It needs to be a mutually14 beneficial interaction when they are visiting with the client，” says McCullough， “so its important that the dog really loves their job.”

麦卡洛说道：“当治疗犬为病人提供治疗时，必须确保这是一个双方互利的交流。所以，狗狗是否热爱治疗工作对我们来说很重要。”