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Ever since mankind tamed wild beasts into domestic animals, pets have been part of human history. Only two animals among the domesticated breed have gained a permanent place in the human household. Having a dog or a cat is now taken for granted. It is, therefore, not too surprising to read about the inclusion of pets in the process of psychotherapy for children.
I first heard about Levinson's use of his own dog in child therapy several years ago when he and I appeared on an APA panel on “Special Techniques in Psychotherapy.” From these first positive experiments Levinson began to examine the rationale behind what he saw. In time he developed a procedure that is easy to follow. By doing so he created a field that is completely new, relatively undeveloped, and “a highly promising adjunct in the mental health field.” This does not mean that every therapist should rush out to get himself a pet. Those therapists who have pets should be alerted to the fact that a relationship between patient and pet (or the lack of it due to fear) contains many interesting and dynamic aspects which are helpful adjuncts to psychotherapy.
An important part of this type of child therapy lies in the fact that the medium—cat or dog—is alive. All kinds of play material such as toys, puppets, sand, clay, water, fingerpaints, blocks, and so on, are used as adjuncts to child therapy. A child cannot completely identify with them because these materials are not alive. They don't eat, drink, or sleep, don't grow, and do not react toward the child. A doll cannot return the love or perhaps the hate which a child may feel. Yet a child can easily identify with a pet as a part of himself. It is true that pets do not talk, but neither do the other play materials.