The importance of dog participation in educational institutions: dog therapy in VZ Planina

This Master thesis demonstrates the influence of dog assisted therapy on work with children and adolescents at a residential treatment institution. The theoretical part consists of the introduction of emotional and behavioral problems of children and the concepts of the residential treatment institution. Myschker's classification of children's and adolescents' behaviour disorders applied in this thesis provides us with a better understanding of the specific difficulties emerging in children/adolescents. The author presents four groups of behavioural disorders: Externalizing behaviours include agression, hyperactivity disorder, noncompliance and impulsive behaviour, while internalizing behaviours involve anxiety, depression and lack of work motivation. Social maladjustment manifests itself in the form of inattention and low energy levels and socialized delinquents share several characteristics including violation of norms, low frustration tolerance and violence (Myschker, 2002, v Kranjčan, 2015). A very common feature found in institutionalized children and adolescents is the lack of trust which tends to interfere with the establishment of healthy relationships. In the same manner, such children and adolescents lack work motivation and perceive any kind of task as a punishment. Beside trust issues they also display lack of empathy, which may lead to certain reactions, often combined with violent behaviour. The theoretical part of the following thesis thus presents some examples how to deal with the afore mentioned problems at the institution by employing a therapy pair (a dog and its partner) on a weekly basis. The empirical part consists of a case study demonstrating the influence of a dog's company on the education at the institution. The study group involving three young females illustrates in which manner the dog's presence induces changes in their respective behaviour patterns. The observation focuses on some behaviours omitted from the theoretical part of the thesis, they are presented in the form of anecdotal references. The resarch is further supported by an interview with a dog handler. The students and their specific problems are closely examined on the basis of a thorough document analyses form their personal files