Research Programs

The research done at Purdue is diverse and driven by the varied interests of our faculty members and students. A few topics that we are or have been working on are:

• The psychosocial effects of service dogs for service dog recipients and their families with
  • K9s for Warriors
  • Canine Assistants
• The evaluation of the effects of Animal-Assisted Intervention, for example:
  • Provision of fish tanks in Alzheimer units
  • Animal-assisted activities with guinea pigs in inclusion classrooms
  • Systematic Literature Reviews
  • Bird watching for families
  • Prevalence of pets in classrooms

• The effect of robotic animals, particularly the robotic dog Aibo
• The development of a behavior coding tool for the rigorous evaluation of animal-assisted intervention
  • OHAIRE coding system
  • Collaborators: UC Denver, UC Irvine
  • Populations: Typically Developing Children, Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Children with Attention Deficet Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Goal: standardized tool for wide use in the field
• The evaluation of the efficiency of Breed-Specific Legislation in the United States
• Canine Behavior Research at the Purdue Animal Behavior Clinic

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

• • Summer Research Opportunity Program
  • Multicultural - Historically Black Institution Visitation
  • Vet Up! College Program
  • Vet Up! Champions Program