01538nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260007600042653002800118653001700146653002600163653002100189100003800210700003800248700002900286245007400315300000900389490000700398520088700405022001401292020001401306       2013                            d  c01/2013bSociedad Española para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estrés10aanimal assisted therapy10adog handlers10aperceived stress role10atherapy programs1 aMónica Teresa González-Ramírez1 aXóchitl Angélica Ortiz-Jiménez1 aRené Landero-Hernández00aThe role of stress of therapy dog handlers in animal-assisted therapy  a1-100 v193 aWe investigated the relationship between dog handlers  perceived stress and therapy dog team performance in a dog assisted therapy program to improve emotional management in adolescents. The objectives were to analyze the relationship between dog handlers  perceived stress and (a) patients  evaluation of the handlers  management, (b) patients  evaluation of the dogs  performance, and (c) stress identified in therapy dogs by their handlers. Nine handlers reported perceived stress in themselves and their dogs, and participants assessed the management and performance of the team. Results showed a significant negative correlation between handlers  stress and the stress they identified in their dogs, which suggests that stress during the animal-assisted therapy sessions was negatively associated with the therapy team performance, and this was also identified by participants.  a1134-7937  a2174-0437