Background. Small-breed companion dogs account for an increasing share of the European and North American companion-animal markets, and the institutional regimes that govern their breeding and deployment in canine-assisted therapy (CAT) differ in ways that have not been systematically compared for Ukraine. Aim. Contemporary cynological management in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine is compared, with particular attention to small-breed CAT, and institutional steps for the Ukrainian sector are identified. Methods. A qualitative documentary analysis was conducted on primary statutory instruments, kennel-club regulations, and publicly reported market data for the four jurisdictions; the empirical material covers the author’s kennel records and 24 months of volunteer activity (2022–2024) with the Malteser Hilfsdienst “Besuchsdienst mit Hund” programme in Lübeck, Germany, reported as a small, uncontrolled, single-site pilot with nursing-staff observations on an internal (non-validated) form. Results. In the three reference jurisdictions the sector operates under licensing regimes, mandatory health testing, and consumer-protection statutes; the Ukrainian framework, which has been developing within the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) system over recent decades, has not yet reached equivalence on statutory control of breeders operating outside the organised kennel system. An audio-visual stimulation mat currently undergoing patent examination is reported as a design and feasibility description only; no efficacy claim is advanced. Conclusions. A convergent institutional profile for Ukrainian cynology is proposed, covering welfare standards aligned with international kennel-club practice, postgraduate breeder training, and certified CAT teams operating under the national kennel organization.

cynological management, canine-assisted therapy, animal welfare regulation, small-breed dogs

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