Protective Factors for Veterans and First Responders | Fire Team K9
The human stress response is designed to help us recognize and respond to potential threats.
In military and emergency service environments, the ability to respond quickly under pressure can be essential and useful. However, prolonged stress and repeated exposure to potentially traumatic events can affect how readily the body responds to perceived danger.
Emotional regulation involves recognizing emotional and physiological responses and developing ways to respond appropriately to different situations.
This does not mean suppressing emotions or remaining calm at all times. Effective regulation includes recognizing when activation is useful, when recovery is needed, and which strategies are appropriate to the circumstances.
Research on psychological interventions following trauma identifies promoting a sense of safety and calming among the important principles of early psychosocial support (Hobfoll et al., 2007).
Where Dogs Can Participate
Dogs can provide opportunities to practise awareness and regulation skills.
During a structured facility dog or service dog activity, participants might observe changes in their breathing, muscle tension, attention, or emotional state while interacting with a dog.
A handler can guide participants through exercises involving calm communication, predictable movement, and attention to the dog’s behaviour.
These activities may help participants practise noticing their own responses and adjusting their behaviour.
Psychiatric service dogs may also be trained to perform specific tasks in response to disability-related symptoms, including interrupting escalating distress or providing trained responses to anxiety.
A 2024 controlled trial found that veterans partnered with psychiatric service dogs experienced lower anxiety and PTSD symptom severity compared with participants receiving usual care alone.
However, this research does not isolate emotional regulation as the mechanism responsible for those improvements. Nor does it establish that observing or interacting with a facility dog produces the same outcomes.
Putting the Protective Factor Into Practice
A simple exercise might involve observing a dog’s behaviour during a calm training activity.
Participants can consider what they notice about the dog’s attention, movement, and response to changes in the environment.
They can then reflect on their own physiological responses, without assuming that the dog is experiencing the same emotions or that canine behaviour provides a direct measurement of human stress.
The exercise creates an opportunity to practise observation, awareness, and intentional responses.
Activities should remain voluntary, respect personal boundaries, and account for the dog’s comfort and welfare.
References
Hobfoll, S. E., et al. (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: Empirical evidence. Psychiatry, 70(4), 283–315. https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2007.70.4.283
Leighton, S. C., et al. (2024). Service dogs for veterans and military members with posttraumatic stress disorder. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2414686. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14686
