Going to the dogs may not be such a bad thing after all, a U.S. researcher has found.

In a study released Wednesday, Saint Louis University professor Dr. William Banks found that lonely seniors responded better when they received visits from dogs alone than when the animals were accompanied by a human.

“It was a strange finding,” said Dr. Banks, a professor of geriatrics in the school's department of internal medicine.

“We had thought that the dog acts as a social lubricant and increases the interaction between residents. The residents found a little quiet time with the pooch is a lot nicer than spending time with a dog and other people.”

For the study, Dr. Banks looked at 37 nursing-home residents who scored high on a loneliness scale and said they wanted weekly 30-minute visits from a dog.

Half the group received visits from just the animal, while the other half were visited by a dog and another human.

Researchers had expected that the seniors in the second group would respond better, with the animal serving as a means of breaking the ice and opening up communication with the other person.

The findings suggested, however, that the opposite was true.

Although both groups responded positively after five or six weeks of visits, those who spent time with the animal alone experienced a more significant decrease in feelings of loneliness.

Dr. Banks said the main way pets reduce loneliness is by simply by being with the people, not by acting as a bridge between the two humans.

“There is no need for a dog to be a social lubricant or icebreaker in a nursing home,” he said.

The study also found that the loneliest people benefited the most from the dog visits.

The findings will be published in the March issue of Anthrozoos, a journal that examines interactions between people, animals and the environment.

Jordan Arseneault from Montreal, Canada writes: It is interesting that the psycho-emotional effects of dog visits are only ever discussed in relation to senior citizens.It is as if there were a hidden agenda fuelling such stories to make us feel better about the isolation, poverty, and neglect to which we subject our elders-- offering the hope that we may not need to visit them anymore ourselves, but could just send a dog to do it.I am not a senior citizen but have felt first-hand the seemingly implausible effects of a well-trained dog on one's feelings of isolation or loneliness, and I don't even like dogs!An article like this I think says more about our society's relation to our elders-- and about the discourse of care for the aging-- than it does about dogs, social lubricants, and the presence or absence of the pet's master.I could venture a guess, though, that the reason the subjects took greater enjoyment from the dogs alone is that they may have felt less pitied by the dog's owner, and more comfortable with the sense of friendship that nice dogs can evoke in the people around them.
Posted Jan. 4, 2006 at 2:26 PM EST Link to Comment
L. Clarke from Saskatoon, Canada writes: I currently have three dogs as part of my family and have always had a dog in my life.The health benefits from having a canine companion are well documented.These range from the human benefits of the daily walks Fido requires,lowering blood pressure by being in the presence of a dog, soothing autistic children, providing a built in home security system, and many many more.My latest canine addition is a young border collie.We are both enjoying the challenges of agility training and the bond that is growing between us has even surprised me.Like some of the other readers, many days I prefer the company of my dogs over other humans!
Posted Jan. 4, 2006 at 5:15 PM EST Link to Comment
Brad Reddekopp from Hazelton, Canada writes: S. R. from Toronto:

No, we don't all recognize animals as persons.In fact, many of us recognize that animals are incapable of personhood and that they are, in fact, property.They are often useful and pleasant property but property nonetheless.

Posted Jan. 4, 2006 at 5:56 PM EST Link to Comment
chris trider from Cape Breton, Canada writes: When I connect this story to another recent story about the burnout and

depression of SPCA workers who have to deal with the emotional effects

of euthanizing dogs I start to think we have a serious disconnect in

our society. Lonely people and dogs that need homes, the experiment

could be funded from some of Harper's 5.3 billion dollar Arctic defence

fund. Put some money into caring for dogs and the elderly and it would

probably lower our health care costs at the end of the day. The dogs

would need exercise and care and respond with that canine love that

confounds depression and loneliness. Banned breeds included.

Posted Jan. 4, 2006 at 7:58 PM EST Link to Comment
Marc D from Nanaimo, Canada writes: Chris Trider (comment #10) has a valid point. Perhaps we could even go further, and merge the animal shelters and the senior citizens homes so that all those who have been abandonned by our sick society can be in one location.