HE doesn’t need feeding, taking for a walk or even cleaning and loves to be stroked.

Meet the robotic therapy dog that’s helping to enrich residents’ lives at a care home in Bournemouth.The cute and cuddly therapy dog called Biscuit responds to touch and speech and is designed to reduce stress and anxiety in residents.

The furry pet is placed in different locations at Templeman House care home in Leedam Road, Northbourne.

He even makes noises and moves, prompting residents to interact with him.

Bournemouth Echo: Ron Grantham, 99, plays with Biscuit who reminds him of his dog Charlie..

Biscuit has proven to be a huge success amongst residents and provides stimulation, comfort and companionship.

While playing with Biscuit, resident Ron Grantham, 99, called the dog Charlie as it reminded him of an old pet.

The home says since Biscuit’s arrival, it has noticed an improvement in resident’s social interactions.

Bournemouth Echo: .Ron Grantham, 99, plays with Biscuit who reminds him of his dog Charlie..

Deanna Barnes, Home Manager at Templeman House, said: “Since having Biscuit with us, we have noticed an improvement in our residents’ social interactions.

“We often have live therapy animals coming into the home too which can be really effective.

“Having the robotic pets means we can use them at all times of day and for longer periods.”

Susan Willoughby, chief executive at Care South, said: “We have been very impressed with the results we have seen so far with the introduction of the robotic dog at Templeman House and we are keen to see how this develops in our other homes.”

Robotic therapy pets are yet to be introduced nationally in dementia care.

However, recent research into PARO, a robotic therapy seal designed in Japan, has demonstrated that they can help reduce stress and anxiety. The seals have built-in sensors and their artificial intelligence allows them to “learn” and respond to the name given to them by patients.

They can also promote social interaction, facilitate emotional expression and improve mood and speech fluency in residents with dementia.