Canines + Crisis Recovery
When individuals experience trauma, their nervous systems often shift into fight, flight, or freeze. They may disconnect from everything and everyone, leaving them feeling alone, unsafe, and unable to function.
Enter the crisis response canine. They gently and wordlessly create a biologically and psychologically powerful connection that supports stabilization, safety, and hope. This connection is the key to recovery.
Evidence-Based Approach
Our work is rooted in science. Engaging with a crisis response canine has been scientifically proven to trigger a cocktail of beneficial biological effects:
- Lowers Heart Rate & Blood Pressure.
- Decreases Cortisol (stress hormone).
- Increases Oxytocin (promoting feelings of safety and connection) .
- Increases Dopamine & Serotonin (mood stabilizers that promote calmness and a sense of well-being.).
Crisis Canines can also:
- Provide grounding through safe, consensual touch.
- Serve as a non-judgmental presence when words are difficult.
- Act as a bridge between responders and survivors.
- Be a stabilizing force.
- Allow the human handler to engage more effectively.
The dog draws the person in; the handler sustains the support. Together, they form a regulated dyad that can help co-regulate a dysregulated individual.
All of these effects work together to restore the ability to think coherently, to reconnect to people and places, and to feel safe. Once the sense of safety and connection is restored, recovery can begin.
Best Practices in Crisis Recovery
We follow evidence-based methods developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to ensure our interventions are effective, ethical, and trauma-informed.
Crisis Specific Training for both Canine & Handler
In each team at NATIONAL, both the handler and the canine are specifically trained for working with the emotionally complex behaviors of people in crisis — and in the physically complex environments of disasters.
Our skillsets include:
- PsySTART, a rapid mental health triage strategy, is used to rapidly assess individuals and connect them with the critical care services they need.
- Psychological First Aid, as developed by SAMSHA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN);
- Peer support critical incident stress management, as developed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF); and
- Suicide prevention and intervention support, as developed by Applied Suicide Prevention Skills Training (ASIST); Question, Respond, Refer (QPR); and ICISF.
Crisis Canines Deliver Safety & Connection
The bargain struck between early humans and canines was a simple one: security in exchange for food. Humans provided food, warmth and shelter; canines served as sentries, warning humans of predators and defending as needed. Centuries later, the canine species flourished as did their loyalty to humans and today the mere presence of a dog — especially one with an innate sense of empathy — brings a powerful sense of safety and comfort.
The presence of the crisis response canine team reminds the individual of their own strengths, resources and resilience, and inspires the individual to take the next steps towards recovery even when it seems out of reach.
More About Crisis and Trauma
How an individual responds to a critical incident is a complex mix of many factors and life experiences. Learn more about the effects of crisis and trauma.