Speech therapy is a traditionally recommended approach to improving communication skills in children with developmental dysphasia. However, findings from a randomized controlled trial suggest that introducing animals, such as dogs, into therapy sessions can strengthen the benefits of this intervention.

“The presence of the dog improves the relationship with the therapist as it distracts from the fear of therapy in children and provides them with a form of support during the practice,” Kristýna Machová, from the department of husbandry and ethology of animals at the Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, said in a press release.