Attorney Chad Engelhardt is pictured with his therapy-trained dog Gracie.
Photo courtesy of Chad Engelhardt
Photo courtesy of Chad Engelhardt
By Jennifer A. Engelhardt and Chad D. Engelhardt
Legal conflict is inherently stressful. Whether parties are navigating a bitter divorce, a workplace grievance, or a personal injury claim, the emotions that surface during alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings can be intense enough to derail productive communication.
In recent years, a growing body of research and practice has pointed to a remarkably effective ally in managing those emotions: the therapy (or comfort) dog. In mediation conference rooms across the country, trained canines are proving that their calming presence can meaningfully improve the processes and outcomes of dispute resolution.
The K9 Calming Effect: The Science
The therapeutic benefits of human-animal interaction are well documented across medical, psychological, and educational fields. Research published in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review demonstrates that interaction with therapy dogs correlates with a range of measurable health improvements, including decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels, and emotional pain, as well as increases in positive emotions, attention, concentration, and motivation. Studies have also shown that therapy dogs reduce stress, depression, anger, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. These physiological and psychological effects are driven by well-established mechanisms: interaction with dogs triggers the release of oxytocin while reducing cortisol and epinephrine, producing a measurable calming response in the human body.
Canine-Assisted Mediation: A New Tool for the Mediator’s Toolbox
Given these benefits, there is increased interest in Canine-Assisted Mediation (CAM), a practice that purposefully incorporates trained therapy dogs into the dispute resolution process. CAM is especially promising in family law mediations, where disputes over custody, support, and property division routinely involve highly charged emotions and life-altering consequences. Therapy dogs offer mediators a cost-effective, safe, and non-verbal tool for managing emotions and the social environment of a mediation session. Indeed, as we have seen in our own practice with our therapy-trained dog, Gracie, the data shows that the presence of a dog can make the process less intimidating, enhance the mood of the room, increase feelings of trust, relieve emotional distress, and provide parties with a form of social support that encourages open communication.
Because dogs do not use words, participants who have been hurt by language can approach and interact with a dog more safely than they might engage with another person. Experienced mediator Robert Benjamin has documented the practical dynamics of dogs in divorce mediation settings. He recounts sessions in which a Labrador Retriever’s visible distress during heated exchanges prompted the parties to pause, redirect their attention, and soften their tone, creating an organic de-escalation that the mediator could then build upon.
Perhaps no practitioner better illustrates the promise of canine-assisted mediation than David A. Hoffman, the John H. Watson Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he has taught the Mediation course since 2008. Prof. Hoffman is a past chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators.
Prof. Hoffman has put the research into practice with the help of Bella, a rescue Golden Retriever from Serbia, who serves as the firm’s “Senior Mascot / Assistant Mediator.” Prof. Hoffman’s integration of Bella into his mediation practice reflects precisely the kind of strategic, science-informed approach that researchers have advocated. By pairing deep expertise in mediation with the calming, trust-building presence of a trained therapy dog, Prof. Hoffman demonstrates that canine-assisted mediation is not merely a theoretical concept but a viable and effective approach already in use at the highest levels of the profession.
Lessons from the Healthcare Setting
Much of the evidence supporting the use of therapy dogs in ADR draws from decades of research in healthcare environments. In hospitals, therapy dog visits have produced striking results. Patients participating in an animal therapy program experienced significant decreases in pain, respiratory rate, and negative mood, along with a substantial increase in perceived energy level. Patients reported feeling more calm, relaxed, engaged, and cheerful after dog therapy visits. Similarly, therapy dog visits in an outpatient pain management clinic correlated with improvements in emotional distress and feelings of well-being. These benefits that extended not only to patients but also to the family members and friends who accompanied them.
Likewise, Animal-Assisted Therapy produced statistically significant reductions in anxiety across patients with mood disorders. And, the effects of brief dog visits on adult patients hospitalized for heart failure found that even a twelve-minute visit with a dog was more effective in reducing anxiety than a visit without one.
These healthcare findings carry direct implications for ADR practitioners. The stressors that patients face, like anxiety, emotional pain, fear of the unknown, and a sense of powerlessness, closely mirror the experiences of parties in mediation and other dispute resolution settings.
Practical Considerations and the Path Forward
Of course, dogs are not appropriate for every situation. Participants may have allergies, cultural concerns, or a fear of dogs. Not every animal possesses the temperament suited to a high-conflict environment. Effective implementation requires careful screening, professional training and certification of both the dog and handler, as well as thoughtful planning by the mediator. Guidelines developed by practitioners emphasize the importance of matching the right dog to the right setting, ensuring the animal’s welfare, and obtaining informed consent from all parties.
Conclusion
The evidence is increasingly clear: therapy dogs can serve as a powerful, low-risk complement to ADR practices. By reducing stress, encouraging open communication, and fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety, these loving animals help create the conditions under which constructive problem-solving can flourish.
About the authors - Along with therapy dog Gracie, WCBA ADR Section Chair Chad Engelhardt and Jennifer Engelhardt are Ann Arbor based attorney mediators. They frequently serve as court appointed neutrals. They focus their ADR practice on the compassionate resolution of catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.
Reprinted with permission from the WCBA Res Ipsa Loquitur newsletter.
Legal conflict is inherently stressful. Whether parties are navigating a bitter divorce, a workplace grievance, or a personal injury claim, the emotions that surface during alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings can be intense enough to derail productive communication.
In recent years, a growing body of research and practice has pointed to a remarkably effective ally in managing those emotions: the therapy (or comfort) dog. In mediation conference rooms across the country, trained canines are proving that their calming presence can meaningfully improve the processes and outcomes of dispute resolution.
The K9 Calming Effect: The Science
The therapeutic benefits of human-animal interaction are well documented across medical, psychological, and educational fields. Research published in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review demonstrates that interaction with therapy dogs correlates with a range of measurable health improvements, including decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels, and emotional pain, as well as increases in positive emotions, attention, concentration, and motivation. Studies have also shown that therapy dogs reduce stress, depression, anger, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. These physiological and psychological effects are driven by well-established mechanisms: interaction with dogs triggers the release of oxytocin while reducing cortisol and epinephrine, producing a measurable calming response in the human body.
Canine-Assisted Mediation: A New Tool for the Mediator’s Toolbox
Given these benefits, there is increased interest in Canine-Assisted Mediation (CAM), a practice that purposefully incorporates trained therapy dogs into the dispute resolution process. CAM is especially promising in family law mediations, where disputes over custody, support, and property division routinely involve highly charged emotions and life-altering consequences. Therapy dogs offer mediators a cost-effective, safe, and non-verbal tool for managing emotions and the social environment of a mediation session. Indeed, as we have seen in our own practice with our therapy-trained dog, Gracie, the data shows that the presence of a dog can make the process less intimidating, enhance the mood of the room, increase feelings of trust, relieve emotional distress, and provide parties with a form of social support that encourages open communication.
Because dogs do not use words, participants who have been hurt by language can approach and interact with a dog more safely than they might engage with another person. Experienced mediator Robert Benjamin has documented the practical dynamics of dogs in divorce mediation settings. He recounts sessions in which a Labrador Retriever’s visible distress during heated exchanges prompted the parties to pause, redirect their attention, and soften their tone, creating an organic de-escalation that the mediator could then build upon.
Perhaps no practitioner better illustrates the promise of canine-assisted mediation than David A. Hoffman, the John H. Watson Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he has taught the Mediation course since 2008. Prof. Hoffman is a past chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators.
Prof. Hoffman has put the research into practice with the help of Bella, a rescue Golden Retriever from Serbia, who serves as the firm’s “Senior Mascot / Assistant Mediator.” Prof. Hoffman’s integration of Bella into his mediation practice reflects precisely the kind of strategic, science-informed approach that researchers have advocated. By pairing deep expertise in mediation with the calming, trust-building presence of a trained therapy dog, Prof. Hoffman demonstrates that canine-assisted mediation is not merely a theoretical concept but a viable and effective approach already in use at the highest levels of the profession.
Lessons from the Healthcare Setting
Much of the evidence supporting the use of therapy dogs in ADR draws from decades of research in healthcare environments. In hospitals, therapy dog visits have produced striking results. Patients participating in an animal therapy program experienced significant decreases in pain, respiratory rate, and negative mood, along with a substantial increase in perceived energy level. Patients reported feeling more calm, relaxed, engaged, and cheerful after dog therapy visits. Similarly, therapy dog visits in an outpatient pain management clinic correlated with improvements in emotional distress and feelings of well-being. These benefits that extended not only to patients but also to the family members and friends who accompanied them.
Likewise, Animal-Assisted Therapy produced statistically significant reductions in anxiety across patients with mood disorders. And, the effects of brief dog visits on adult patients hospitalized for heart failure found that even a twelve-minute visit with a dog was more effective in reducing anxiety than a visit without one.
These healthcare findings carry direct implications for ADR practitioners. The stressors that patients face, like anxiety, emotional pain, fear of the unknown, and a sense of powerlessness, closely mirror the experiences of parties in mediation and other dispute resolution settings.
Practical Considerations and the Path Forward
Of course, dogs are not appropriate for every situation. Participants may have allergies, cultural concerns, or a fear of dogs. Not every animal possesses the temperament suited to a high-conflict environment. Effective implementation requires careful screening, professional training and certification of both the dog and handler, as well as thoughtful planning by the mediator. Guidelines developed by practitioners emphasize the importance of matching the right dog to the right setting, ensuring the animal’s welfare, and obtaining informed consent from all parties.
Conclusion
The evidence is increasingly clear: therapy dogs can serve as a powerful, low-risk complement to ADR practices. By reducing stress, encouraging open communication, and fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety, these loving animals help create the conditions under which constructive problem-solving can flourish.
About the authors - Along with therapy dog Gracie, WCBA ADR Section Chair Chad Engelhardt and Jennifer Engelhardt are Ann Arbor based attorney mediators. They frequently serve as court appointed neutrals. They focus their ADR practice on the compassionate resolution of catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.
Reprinted with permission from the WCBA Res Ipsa Loquitur newsletter.
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