Though any animal can make a contribution to its owner’s physical and mental health, service dogs usually are trained to help with specific tasks like guiding and balance. For some of them, however, improving their owners’ mental health is the service they provide.

Since the 1990s, dogs have been trained to help people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They wake their owners out of nightmares, nudge them if they start to drive too fast, look out for them in crowded rooms, or warn them if someone behind them gets too close. Dogs’ sensitivity to the moods of humans – something that’s