What's Deep Pressure Therapy And How Can the Right Dog Help?
Have you decided to explore what a service dog can do for you in your recovery from substance use and mental health issues? A deep pressure therapy dog might be the right move for you to alleviate the anxiety you feel and induce a sense of calm.
Service dogs can be task-trained to perform deep pressure stimulation by lying across a person’s lap, leaning into them, or otherwise applying pressure. This type of gentle pressure can trigger the body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system instead of the sympathetic nervous system. It reduces anxiety and improves social functioning.
Ingrained Recovery welcomes you and your DPT dog in our comprehensive treatment program. Tap into some of these benefits of bringing your dog to Ingrained with you.
Get Accredited Treatment Programs at Ingrained Recovery
What is Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)?
Animals trained for psychiatric service roles perform a number of tasks for their owners, but deep pressure therapy dogs are especially helpful for those with anxiety attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder.
At this point you are likely wondering: what does it take for your dog to provide deep pressure stimulation?
It might seem like a service canine isn’t ‘doing much’ with this practice, but deep pressure therapy is actually very helpful for dissociative episodes. The right dog can apply pressure by resting its chin on the right parts of the body or applying its body weight to certain areas.
Most of the time, the dog will lean into the owner or drape themselves across their lap. The best method depends on the service dog breed and the amount of pressure that the handler needs to feel grounded.
But why is deep pressure therapy so important for mental health disorders?
Deep Pressure Stimulation and the Parasympathetic Nervous System
When many people deal with elevated levels of arousal, the sympathetic nervous system makes it difficult for them to calm down. Deep pressure therapy dogs instead apply consistent pressure that actually shifts arousal to the parasympathetic nerves.
In other words, it has a tremendous physical effect on the body when dealing with panic attacks and other psychiatric disabilities. Some studies suggest that deep pressure therapy can lower heart rate and blood pressure.
The alerts in your system switch off, and you may finally feel like you can relax. The body will even start to produce feel-good chemicals and endorphins, allowing you to unwind. By activating your parasympathetic nervous system, your body enters a state of rest and alleviates anxiety.
Does Deep Pressure Therapy Reduce of Anxiety?
Perhaps the most beneficial reason why many people turn to service dog training for DPT is that it can reduce overall anxiety levels. When a dog lies across a person’s lap, it reduces the volume of the alarm in the brain that signals the person is on sensory overload.
Deep pressure therapy dogs can reduce the biosignals of anxiety, but that’s not the only reason to train your dog.
Many people who operate from a place of anxiety have a difficult time with touch from people around them. A DPT dog can actually lead to more comfort within these parameters, allowing you to feel more at ease and lowering anxiety even further.
Get Proven Detox and Rehab Options at Ingrained
Psychiatric Service Dogs and Their Role with Mental Health
This service dog task from your furry friend can have a calming effect, much like a weighted blanket. However, there are more important reasons to consider enlisting the help of a professional dog trainer to teach your canine how to do it.
Psychiatric service dogs are specially trained and recognized for their crucial role in promoting psychosocial health and mental well-being. Depending on the specific tasks that your dog is trained to perform, they aid in improving social and emotional functioning, as well as performance at work and school.
Keep in mind that service animals differ from emotional support animals. Emotional support animals are there for you to pet, love, and spend time with when needed. Psychiatric service dogs are task-trained to mitigate some aspect of your disability, such as deep pressure therapy for panic attacks or PTSD.
Service Dog Training: How to Get Your Own DPT Dog
The good news is that obtaining a service dog that can perform DPT with you is easier than ever. Once you clear the initial hurdle of proving that you have a medical need for a service dog, there might be several ways you can pursue obtaining one.
First, you can work with an accredited training program that will work with you to customize the tasks that your future dog will be able to perform. The only downside is that wait times are quite long, which may make it cost-prohibitive for some handlers.
Instead, you might train your own dog with some professional guidance. A dog trainer could come to your home and help you work with your dog to perform the tasks that would be most beneficial for you.
In the United States, you also have the right to train your dog on your own. You can find plenty of resources on how to implement positive reinforcement and introduce public access work with DPT online.
What are the Best Breeds for a Deep Pressure Therapy Dog?
Of course, not all dogs are well-suited to deep pressure therapy. Consider your needs and what would be most helpful to you from the outset. Some people like a lot of pressure, which means that you may need a bigger dog to apply their weight across your lap.
However, some dogs may simply be too big for this type of intense pressure. Breeds like Great Danes can still perform DPT, but they may have to do so with their head rather than their whole body.
Other handlers will prefer small dogs that can curl up in their lap for longer periods of time. This is beneficial if you can alleviate your anxiety with only the smallest amount of deep pressure therapy.
If you are unsure what dog breed is best for DPT, it may be beneficial to look for medium-sized dogs that can adjust the pressure applied depending on your needs.
Encouraging the Dog to Perform DPT Activities Effectively
One thing that many people don’t anticipate about deep pressure therapy dogs is that not all dogs will be comfortable or willing to perform DPT. Some dogs may not find it enjoyable to drape themselves over their handler’s lap like a weighted blanket. Especially if you are distressed and your anxiety soars, it might overwhelm them.
Instead, you might have to consider alternatives. For example, you could train them to lean against your legs or body rather than the closer physical contact most people associate with DPT.
You may also be able to encourage your dog to participate in deep pressure therapy by making it a more enjoyable experience for them. Pet them or give them a little massage while you calm down. Not only does this have a calming effect on them, but it can also help alleviate your anxiety.
Enrolling in a Pet-Friendly Rehab like Ingrained Recovery
Whether you have a psychiatric service dog or an emotional support animal, taking them with you to a rehab program can be beneficial. Pets lower anxiety and make you feel more comfortable, allowing you to focus more fully on your recovery.
Ingrained Recovery is proud to be a pet-friendly rehab, accepting well-behaved dogs of all kinds when you enroll in our program. This takes the pressure off to find accommodations for your dog while in a long-term rehab program and puts you at ease.
You’ll find that having your furry friend with you in rehab lowers the stress associated with out-of-home placement in a program like ours. It also instills a sense of responsibility and routine, as you’ll need to continue caring for the animal by taking it for walks, feeding it, and more.
The benefits of bringing your dog to rehab with you are many, so consider enrolling in a program like ours.
Find Dog-Friendly Support for Recovery at Ingrained
If you’re ready to take the first steps to improve your mental health and reduce substance misuse, we are ready to help. Ingrained Recovery offers a pet-friendly rehab with luxurious amenities, ensuring you are comfortable and well cared for during your recovery.
In many cases, we can offer same-day placement at our beautiful Georgia campus, where you can explore our expansive 50-acre campus and participate in evidence-based treatments, such as equine-assisted therapy.
Our enrollment team is ready and waiting to answer your questions and verify your insurance benefits so that you get the help you need today!
Up To 100% of Rehab Costs Covered By Insurance
References
- Chen, H. Y., Yang, H., Meng, L. F., Chan, P. S., Yang, C. Y., & Chen, H. M. (2016). Effect of deep pressure input on parasympathetic system in patients with wisdom tooth surgery. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan yi zhi, 115(10), 853–859.
- Bontula, A., Preston, R. C., Shannon, E., Wilson, C., & Fitter, N. T. (2023). Deep Pressure Therapy: A Promising Anxiety Treatment for Individuals With High Touch Comfort?. IEEE transactions on haptics, 16(4), 549–554.
- Rodriguez, K. E., Bibbo, J., & O’Haire, M. E. (2020). The effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions. Disability and rehabilitation, 42(10), 1350–1358.
- Americans with Disabilities Act. (2025, October 1). Frequently asked questions about service animals and the ADA.