Service dogs as stress buffer in police officers with PTSD

Research has shown that a trustworthy companion can act as a stress buffer. Recently, there has been an increase in the usage of trained dogs to assist people that experience difficulties in day to day activities due to, for example, PTSD. To investigate whether service dogs can act as a social buffer in police officers with PTSD, we will test whether the presence of a service dog reduces hyperreactive responses to stimuli and restores cognitive control. With this collaborative research program we aim to test theories on social buffering in PTSD as well as to guide policy for the national police on use of service dogs.