USPQP042 Canistherapy in Education

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/26/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Šárka Honová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. Mgr. Eva Zezulková, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Šárka Honová, Ph.D.
Institute of Special Education – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Contact Person: Mgr. Denisa Janků
Timetable of Seminar Groups
USPQP042/A: Mon 16. 2. 8:05–11:20 C306, Tue 3. 3. 8:05–11:20 C209, Tue 17. 3. 8:05–10:30 C209, Fri 10. 4. 8:05–10:30 C306, Tue 14. 4. 8:05–10:30 C204, Tue 21. 4. 8:05–10:30 C204, Tue 28. 4. 8:05–10:30 C204, Tue 12. 5. 8:05–10:30 C204, Š. Honová
Prerequisites (in Czech)
FAKULTA(FVP) && TYP_STUDIA(N) && FORMA(P) && ROCNIK(1)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives

The aim of the course is to expand and consolidate students’ knowledge in the field of therapies involving the presence of a dog and related activation techniques within the field of special education. Specifically, students become familiar with the definition of the concept of canistherapy and its foreign equivalents, with the theoretical foundations, structure and organization of education and therapy involving the presence of a dog, as well as with the aims, principles of safety and hygiene, and the legislative context of this form of intervention in relation to valid educational legislation and curricular documents, so that the approach to the rehabilitation and education of persons with special needs is professional in all respects. At the same time, students become familiar with the opportunities and risks of special education intervention involving the presence of a dog for individual groups of pupils according to health indications and special educational needs.

Learning outcomes

Professional knowledge:

  • The student is able to characterize psychotherapy as a foundational discipline for therapies in special education;
  • The student has general knowledge of the history of the use of therapeutic approaches in special education;
  • The student is able to define and theoretically determine the place of canistherapy in special education;
  • The student is able to assess the individual benefits and risks of this form of special education intervention for individual persons (pupils) with special needs.


Professional skills:

  • The student is able to assess the professional requirements for a dog handler, as well as the risks, circumstances, and conditions of special education intervention involving the presence of a dog;
  • The student knows the methods and means of selected therapeutic approaches;
  • The student is able to formulate the aim, partial aims, and procedures for specific education, activation activities, or special education rehabilitation involving the presence of a dog;
  • The student is able to analyze the possible risks of canistherapy in relation to the client’s ontogenetic triangle and to his/her ethnic or religious diversity.


General competencies:

  • The student is able to express the relationship between canistherapy and special education;
  • The student is able to describe the methodology of activation or therapy involving the presence of a dog;
  • The student is able to independently create safe special education-based activation, education, or special education rehabilitation involving the presence of a dog.
Syllabus
1. The pedagogical framework of the topic; the importance of setting the lesson objective and thorough preparation, preparing suitable conditions, managing the intervention, and evaluation.
2. Current trends in the quality and development of competencies of canistherapy teams abroad.
3. Current trends in the quality and development of competencies of canistherapy teams in the Czech Republic.
4. Education involving the presence of a dog.
5. Special education rehabilitation involving the presence of a dog.
6. Comparison of the Czech and foreign approach to legislation in connection with canistherapy.
7. Welfare and ethical limits of education involving the presence of a dog.
8. School dogs abroad and in the Czech Republic (opportunities and limits).
9. Risks related to canistherapy.
10. Canistherapy for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.
11. Canistherapy for pupils with visual impairment and blindness.
12. Canistherapy for pupils with impaired communication abilities.
13. Canistherapy for pupils with multiple disabilities.
14. Canistherapy for pupils with ADHD.
15. Canistherapy for pupils with challenging behaviour in schools and educational facilities.
16. Examples of different approaches from Czech school practice with commentary.
17. Practice of correct procedures in education or special education rehabilitation involving the presence of a dog.
Literature
    required literature
  • JANKŮ, Kateřina. Terapie ve speciální pedagogice – zaměření na osoby s těžkým postižením. Ostrava: PdF, 2013. ISBN 978-80-7464-326-2.
  • HONOVÁ, Šárka, Canisterapie v pedagogické praxi, distanční studijní text, FVP SU, Opava 2024
    recommended literature
  • KULISIEWICZ Beata., Dogoterapia we wspomaganiu nauki i usprawnianiu techniki czytania. Impuls 2. vyd. Kraków 2014.
  • MÜLLER (ed.) Oldřich a kol. Terapie ve speciální pedagogice. 2.přepr. vyd. Olomouc:UP, 2014. ISBN 978-80-247-4172-7.
  • NAJBERT, E., SIPOWICZ K., PIETRAS T., Dogoterapia, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. Warszawa 2016.
  • KULISIEWICZ Beata., Witaj, piesku! Impuls, Kraków 2007.
  • GALAJDOVÁ, Lenka a Zdenka GALAJDOVÁ. Canisterapie. Praha: Portál, 2011. ISBN 978-80-7367-879-1. ISBN 978-80-89726-49-3.
  • BICKOVÁ Jaroslava, Zooterapie v kostce, Portál, Praha 2020. ISBN 978-80-262-1585-1.
  • LEONHARDt Ch., Hunde in der Schule. Implementierung der tiergestützten Pädagogik (TP) in den Schulalltag, Pädag. Hochsch. Steiermark, Bachelorarb., Graz 2011.
  • TVRDÁ Andrea, Canisterapie. Zvíře v sociálních službách, Plot, Praha 2020. ISBN 978-80-7428-366-6.
  • JEDLIČKA, Richard a kolektiv. Poruchy socializace u dětí a dospívajících. Prevence životních selhání a krizová intervence. Praha: Grada Publishing, a.s., 2015. ISBN 978-80-247-5447-5.
  • CHMIEL T. B., Pedagogiczne konteksty obecności zwierząt w wychowaniu. W: Zwierzęta w kulturze i wychowaniu, pod red. Ewy Ogrodzkiej-Mazur, Grzegorza Błahuta. –Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2017.
    not specified
  • KALEJA, Martin; ZEZULKOVÁ, Eva; ADAMUS, Petr a Pavel MÜHLPACHR. Etnografie školy jako edukační realita současnosti. Opava: Slezská univerzita v Opavě, Fakulta veřejných politik, 2015. ISBN 978-80-7510-192-1.
  • KRATOCHVÍL, Stanislav. Základy psychoterapie. Praha: Portál, 2002. ISBN 80-7178-657-8.
  • KACHLÍK, Petr; ČERVENKA, Karel; VOJTOVÁ, Věra et al. Inkluze jako cesta k předcházení rozvoji problémů v chování. Brno: MU, 2016. ISBN 978-80-210-8509-1.
  • Janík T. a kol., Kvalita (ve) vzdělávání: obsahově zaměřený přístup ke zkoumání a zlepšování výuky, Masarykova univerzita, Brno 2016. ISBN 978-80-210-6349-5.
Teaching methods

Verbal methods, demonstrative methods, cooperative and group methods, problem-based methods, and practical skills-based methods for preparation for course completion.

Assessment methods

Students attending classes will have the opportunity to create their own preparation for education involving the presence of a dog and to implement their proposal in practice. Students not attending classes will submit a seminar paper of up to 10 standard pages on the topic Written preparation and method of implementation of canistherapy for a specific school class or a person with a disability (or a child/pupil with special educational needs). The paper must include justification of the lesson objectives, the choice of activities, and possible risks of implementation.


Students participating in a study stay abroad will compare the topic in their seminar paper with practice in the country where the study stay takes place, or describe how such a lesson would take place (or takes place) in the host country, emphasizing the differences.


Course credit will be awarded on the basis of the evaluation of the presented preparation or the seminar paper.

Language of instruction
Czech
Teacher's information

Personal contact in teaching and consultation hours. During the course of study, the student uses study materials and completes selected correspondence assignments. At the same time, the student demonstrates knowledge of the required literature and lectures from contact teaching. The student will be able to continuously consult individually studied course topics via e-mail, individual consultations, or group consultations.

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
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