The role of animal behavior studies in animal-assisted services

While animal behavior studies can be considered 'basic research', the results are often indeed relevant to the applied field of animal-assisted services. Internationally agreed new terminology for animal-assisted work will be introduced first and used throughout the text. The latest international guidelines of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) and the International Society for Animal Assisted Therapy (ISAAT) for working with animals to benefit both clients and safeguard the welfare of the animals involved will be summarized. Then the areas where animal behavior studies have contributed most to date to the welfare of animals involved in such work will be considered. As examples, relevant knowledge from ethological observations on the most frequently involved domesticated animal species (horses, dogs, cats, and, as a small animal species, guinea pigs) will be noted. Finally the importance of more observational studies on farm animal species in animal-assisted services will be pointed out.