Pilot of a dog-walking program to foster and support community inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities

Purpose To evaluate a dog-walking program (called Dog Buddies) designed to address the need for evidence-based programs that create opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities to be more socially included in mainstream society. The research question was: Does community dog walking foster social interaction for people with cognitive disabilities? Materials and methods Single-case experimental design was used with four individuals (three with intellectual disability; one with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)) recruited via two disability service providers in Victoria. Target behaviours included frequency and nature of encounters between the person with disability and community members. Change was measured from baseline (five community meetings with a handler but no dog) to intervention period (five meetings minimum, with a handler and a dog). Semi-structured interviews, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, provided three participants' subjective experiences of the program. Results Dog Buddies increased the frequency of encounters for all participants. The presence of the dog helped to foster convivial encounters, community members were found to be more welcoming, and some participants were recognised or acknowledged by name over time in the intervention phase. Conclusions The dog-walking program offered a simple means of influencing the frequency and depth of community-based social interactions for people with cognitive disabilities.

Automated summary

The dog-walking program, called Dog Buddies, aims to address the need for social inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities in mainstream society. The study found that the program increased the frequency of encounters between participants and community members. The presence of dogs helped foster convivial encounters and participants were recognized or acknowledged over time. This suggests that the program has a positive impact on community-based social interactions for individuals with cognitive disabilities.