Effects of Dog Ownership and Academic Success: A Correlational Study

Abstract

It is well known that dogs are effective stress relievers. Specifically, certified therapy dogs and service dogs have been proven to reduce stress in the academic realm. With the reduction of stress comes an increase in test scores and academic performance. Scientific trails have shown that dog visitations have helped children in elementary school increase their literacy and reading rates. College students report that meet and greets with therapy dogs during finals weeks have left them feeling more confident about upcoming exams. Though, what is not commonly considered are students at the high school level and the influence of dogs, particularly one that they own. This study involved the collecting and analyzing of surveys to see whether or not high schoolers who owned dogs had higher academic success as compared to their peers who didn’t own dogs. The findings show that there is no such correlation between high schoolers who own dogs experiencing higher academic rates, however it did support the proven theory of dogs relieving stress.