*4.1.3. Therapy with dogs*

One of the animals frequently used in therapy by professionals working in various fields is the dog to improve the physical, cognitive, functional, and social skills of individuals. The most important areas of use are autism spectrum disabilities in children and visually impaired individuals [50]. Many studies mentioned that the degree of independence in daily living activities improved when using dogs as a therapy companion [50, 51]. It is observed that dogs, one of the most important parts of AAT, interact better with people than other animals [6]. Dogs are highly preferred by experts because they are both AAA and AAT suitable for use in therapeutic approaches.

Dogs are often preferred for both children and adults in therapy because they are friendly, sympathetic, obedient, and playful. They are also used as a guide for the blind, as walking aids for physically challenged, and a hearing assistance for the deaf. Many studies have shown that dogs offer vital benefits in terms of reducing functional disability and facilitation of communication and interaction in humans [38, 52]. Therefore, it is important to remember that dogs can be used for animal-assisted approaches toward therapy, primarily for all ages and patients with diagnosis.
