This page is a summery of The Center of Anthrozoologys Norwegian web site.

The Center of Anthrozoology works in the field of human-animal-relationship.

About us

The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology is an interdisciplinary association, comprising of individuals with expertise in ethology, rehabilitation, nursing, public health and special needs education. All members are graduates from the University of Life Science (UMB), Oslo.

The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology is involved in many different areas including: research programmes, consultancy, practice of animal assisted interventions, dog training and behaviour modification.

The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology is situated in a 600m2 building, containing separate rooms specially designed for animal assisted interventions, conferences, meetings, or teaching and training. There is also use of a large outside training area on the UMB campus.

The animals used within animal assisted intervention undergo a thorough health check by a veterinarian, are deemed of suitable temperament by a professional and have participated in a specifically designed training programme focusing on the tasks required in animal assisted therapy and education. The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology  is the only organisation with expertise and experience in the field of animal assisted intervention.

Animal Assisted Therapy

Therapy can be defined as a process that involves a special relationship between a person seeking help to solve a physical or mental health issue, and a person who is trained to provide such assistance. Animal-assisted therapy involves individuals in health care or social services using the animal as part of the whole therapeutic process. Animal-assisted therapy is a targeted intervention in which an animal meets specific criteria, and is an integral part of a treatment program.

EO Wilson Biophilia hypothesis argues that humans possess a genetic propensity to participate with or be attracted to other living organisms. A major focus within anthrozoological research is the quantification of the positive effects of the human-animal relationship in regard to both parties, and also the study of the importance of these interactions.

Anthrozoology is the study of the interaction between humans and animals. It can also be described as a science that focuses on all aspects of the human-animal bond, operating as a bridge between the natural and social sciences. Anthrozoology is a modern interdisciplinary field that has grown from the combination of several other disciplines, including ethology, medicine, psychology, veterinary medicine and zoology.

Animal assisted therapy – involves the systematic use of animals as an integral part of the therapeutic process

Animal assisted activities – involves the animals becoming part of the whole environment and is used by both professionals and lay people, for example within hospitals and nursing homes.

Previous Research

Experiments have shown that animal-assisted therapy stimulates cognitive function and communication, increases mobility, self-esteem and motivation, and improves participation in other treatment programs. It has been shown that animals encourage people to become more sociable, to start conversations more frequently, and to laugh and exchange stories more often. As a result of this, it has been documented that positive interaction with animals helps improve patients' overall health and happiness.

Some argue that humans possess a genetic propensity to participate with or be attracted to other living organisms. People who have contact with animals say they feel more confident, safer and happier, while showing signs of both lower blood pressure and heart rate. Direct physical contact with an animal can cause blood pressure and pulse rate to drop to a level that would otherwise only happen after several weeks of relaxation exercises. Institutions report the relaxing effects on residents; the residents are moving more, they have other things than their illness to think about, and they show less symptoms of the disease, even less pain. Health authorities in Lewisham council London, offer patients in South London diagnosed with long-term illness the possibility to have contact with a dog as part of their prescription. Improved recovery and faster rehabilitation increases the quality of life for the individual, whilst being cost-effective for employers and the community.  

Formal Education:

It is important to be aware of the challenges involved in taking a dog into a health institution, and to recognise and respect the problems of animals in public places. The uncontrolled development of animal-assisted activity could unfortunately lead to accidents to people or animals, and in the worst scenarios lead to a total ban on visits of dog to institutions.

The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology together with UMB (University of Life Sciences) has developed university courses in animal assisted intervention. The courses are designed for participants with a background in, for example: education, health, social care, medicine, veterinary medicine, biology or psychology, the students attain 15 university credits for the course. Since 2008, 209 participants from across the country have taken the course.  

Our introductory course in animal assisted interventions gives the student 5 credits for successful completion of the course, which includes passing an essay and an exam. The course is held each semester. For more information ...
The course in animal assisted interventions with a dog gives 10 credits. For more information ...

Our goal is that the various courses will provide knowledge about the positive effect animals can have on people and how this can be used in practice. The courses are designed as a first step in assuring the education of individuals actively using animals in interventions with people.

The Norwegian Kennel Club on the 17th June 2010 established a partnership with The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology regarding animal-assisted interventions. The Norwegian Center of Anthrozoology offers nationwide training courses in animal assisted activities with dogs. The courses are organised by the Norwegian Kennel Club and are intended as an offer to members of local dog training clubs.

Contact Line Sandstedt for more information.

Therapy dogs 

Together with the Lions Dog Training School, we occasionally have dogs for sale that are suitable for animal assisted therapy, contact Christine Olsen for more information.   

Contact info:

The Center of Anthrozoology
Drøbakveien 50
N-1430 Ås

Tel: +47 64 96 60 05

e-mail: post@antrozoologisenteret.no