Kateryna Shershnova, Ukrainian volunteer, public figure, and founder of the Holy Doggy social project
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the demand for canistherapy (a method of psychological rehabilitation involving specially trained dogs) has significantly increased in Ukraine. This is a natural progression, as canistherapy has long proven its effectiveness in working with veterans, children, and individuals who have experienced traumatic events.
However, the development of this field brings new challenges. The term "canistherapy" is increasingly used to describe any interaction between a human and a dog, regardless of the animal's training. Of particular concern are attempts to involve service dogs—trained for apprehension, guarding, or protection—in psychological work.
International practice clearly distinguishes between service dogs and therapy dogs, primarily to ensure human safety and the welfare of the animals themselves.
Kateryna Shershnova, founder of the NGO Holy Doggy, which has been developing professional canistherapy in Ukraine for five years, explains why a dog cannot be both a guardian and a therapist simultaneously, and why it is crucial to rely on international experience rather than experimentation.
Not every gentle dog is a therapist
There is a simplified perception in society: if a dog is friendly and loves people, it is automatically ready for rehabilitation work. In reality, this is not the case.
In cynology, there is a clear division of specializations, including search and rescue, guard, service, emotional support, guide, and therapy dogs. Each specialization requires completely different behavioral models and nervous system types.
International standards dictate specific training for therapy dogs and strictly prohibit combining therapeutic work with protection services.
In disciplines like Mondioring, dogs are intentionally taught to be wary of strangers, react quickly to threats, and use controlled aggression. In canistherapy, the requirements are the opposite: the animal must remain entirely predictable, even when a person behaves atypically—crying loudly, screaming, making chaotic movements, or hugging abruptly.
Reflexes remain reflexes. It is impossible to simultaneously train a dog for protection and expect that these reactions will never manifest during therapeutic work. This is why strict global standards exist for admitting dogs to therapeutic practice.
Only a few out of a hundred pass certification
A therapy dog undergoes multi-level selection, training, and international certification. Specialists evaluate not only obedience but also temperament, recovery speed after stress, reactions to noise and flashes, and contact with strangers.
An equally important criterion is the animal's voluntary desire to participate. A dog working under duress or experiencing constant stress cannot be a therapist.
If a dog does not want to work as a therapist, it will eventually impact its health, leading to illness and exhaustion. We always emphasize that therapy must be safe not only for the human but for the animal as well.
In most countries where canistherapy is integrated into the healthcare system, clear standards apply (specifically those of international organizations like IAHAIO and ADI). Since Ukraine does not yet have its own state evaluation system, specialists must undergo certification abroad or involve foreign experts.
This is a complex, long, and expensive process. Over five years, the Holy Doggy team has tested more than 200 dogs. Of those, only about 30 passed the preliminary selection and training, and only 12 achieved international recognition. At the start of the project, there were fewer than 10 such dogs in all of Ukraine.
The first graduating class was preceded by a two-year information campaign, a year of testing, and six months of preparation for international certification involving experts from InNikos, who conducted the first-ever evaluation of therapy dogs in Ukraine. Currently, a second group of dogs from the Holy Doggy project is preparing for the PADA certification—one of the leading specialized tests in canistherapy.
Canistherapy is primarily the work of a psychologist
The lead specialist in a session is a psychologist or psychotherapist, while the dog serves as a unique, finely-tuned tool. Sometimes, it is enough for the animal to simply lie nearby. Research shows that the mere presence of a calm four-legged companion normalizes heart rate, reduces anxiety, and provides a sense of basic safety.
A dog lowers psychological defenses where words fail, becoming an indispensable "bridge" for those who find it hardest to open up—children and military personnel. They often come "to see the dog, not the doctor." Once trust is restored, the specialist can gently steer the meeting into a classic therapeutic direction.
Over five years, about a thousand people have gone through our programs, and we have seen impressive results when canistherapy works in tandem with traditional psychotherapy or medication. For example, children who completely lost their speech due to severe trauma began to speak again, step by step, under medical supervision and through interaction with therapy dogs. Adults who had denied their pain for years finally broke through their barriers and committed to full-scale individual therapy thanks to the animals.
These results are neither accidental nor miraculous. They are only possible when canistherapy is based on clear rules: dogs undergo specialized selection and international certification, specialists work according to proven methodologies, and the animal's welfare is as much a priority as human safety.
This is the approach taken by NGO Holy Doggy, implementing the project "Canistherapy in Action" together with the "Baza 4.5.0" Rehabilitation Center, supported by the pet food brand Josera.
When psychological and physical health is at stake, there is no need to reinvent the wheel or resort to experiments. It is essential to utilize international experience that has been refined over decades.
