Dogs trained to de-stress passengers at Istanbul airport

Kuki, 6 years old, and Alita, one and a half years old, greet passengers at Istanbul Airport with their tails wagging, as part of a program to help reduce stress in one of the busiest air terminals in the world.

In the international departures area, just before passport control, the two dogs welcome passengers, some in a hurry, some anxious and some worried about saying goodbye to their loved ones.

Ali Bahtiyari, a young Iranian who traveled outside his country for the first time, is surprised to come across an excited Kuki, a Lagotto Romagnolo with thick, curly brown fur, and Alita, a black and white border collie with a bright look.

“I just spent a few days in Istanbul, I walked a lot and I’m exhausted. But seeing these dogs has triggered my endorphins and I’m not tired at all anymore!”Smiles the thirty-year-old as he caresses one of the two animals, before flying back to Tehran.

For two months, when this project was launched, the dogs and their companions have been traveling through the mega-airport, which is located on the European side of Istanbul and received more than 76 million passengers last year. The Turkish megalopolis has another international airport on its Asian shore, Sabiha Gökçen.

“We launched this therapy dog ​​project to offer our clients a better travel experience and reduce the stress they may suffer from flying.“Volkan Arslan, veterinarian and coordinator of this device that has five dogs, told AFP.

Adapted schedules

All animals were rigorously trained before patrolling domestic and international flight terminals. They will soon be joined by two other four-legged companions who complete their training.

Each dog works five days a week, at most three hours a day, but the schedules are adjusted to their needs.

“Alita has a lot of energy and loves spending time with travelers, so we can extend her schedule”explains Arslan.

“However, Kuki needs to rest (…), so we lighten his schedule“, Add.

Ismail Seyhan, Kuki’s trainer, points out that the schedules also vary depending on the health status and psychology of the dogs. ““He who works today rests the next day.”

While hurrying towards passport control, Fatima Bouzerda brakes and suddenly changes direction towards Kuki.

“It’s the first time I saw something like that. I had heard of cat cafes, but never something like this in an airport”, explains this Parisian, playing with the dog.

“It’s so adorable, it’s really stress-relieving.“, Add.

“Motivating”

All the reactions are positive, says Abdulkadir Demirtas, head of customer service at Istanbul Airport.

“What I enjoy most is seeing how children and families, initially reluctant to approach dogs, start playing with them in a matter of seconds.“, account.

“We are very happy, it is the result we were looking for“, Add.

Volkan Gul, Alita’s handler, remembers a crying passenger: “I told him he could pet the dog, and he did. And she started to smile”.

In the United States, dozens of airports have so-called therapy dogs, which appeared after the attacks of September 11, 2001 to relax passengers anxious about travel.

Therapy or assistance dogs are also trained to interact with people in hospitals, libraries, and schools.

Volkan Arslan says his dogs are already making a difference at this busy Turkish airport.

“It’s very motivating. We have passengers who not only suffer from the stress of flying, but also a phobia of dogs. With us they are taking the first step to overcome it”.