Reading Theme:
What Are Therapy Dogs? Definition & Healing Role
Meaning 1：healing dogs (therapy dogs)
therapy dogs
/ˈθɛrəpi dɒɡz/
n.
Dogs that are trained to visit places like hospitals and schools to make people feel happy, less stressed, and more comfortable.
healing dogs
➕
/ˈhiːlɪŋ dɒɡz/
n.
Specially trained dogs that visit hospitals, schools, and care facilities to provide comfort, reduce stress, and improve emotional well-being.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Greek 'therapeia' (healing) + Old English 'docga' (dog).
💡 Mnemonic
Therapy dogs heal hearts with wagging tails.
📖 Example
The gentle golden retriever, a certified therapy dog, visited the children's ward, and its presence immediately brought smiles to the young patients' faces.
The gentle golden retriever, a certified therapy dog, visited the children's ward, and its presence immediately brought smiles to the young patients' faces.
🔗 Collocations
certified therapy dog – A dog that has passed official training and evaluation to provide therapeutic support.
therapy dog program – An organized initiative that deploys trained dogs to various community settings.
hospital therapy dog – A therapy dog specifically assigned to work in a hospital environment.
🔄 Synonyms
comfort dog (n.) – A dog trained to offer affection and comfort, often in crisis situations.
facility dog (n.) – A dog that works in a specific facility (e.g., school, clinic) under professional guidance.
animal therapist (n.) – An animal (often a dog) used in therapeutic interventions to improve mental health.
🌱 Derivatives
therapy (n.) – Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.
therapeutic (adj.) – Relating to the healing of disease or improving well-being.
dog-assisted therapy (n.) – A form of therapy that incorporates dogs as part of the treatment process.
📖 Cultural Story
Therapy dogs gained prominence after WWII when animals assisted in rehabilitation; the term was formalized in the 1970s with the rise of animal-assisted therapy.
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser