Two dogs are helping Aberdeen students settle into university life.

Pablo and Ollie are offering comfort to those who may be feeling homesick or just want to relax.

John Baird, a senior lecturer at the university, and Emily Baird, a disability advisor, decided that the dogs would be ideal candidates to register with charity Pets as Therapy.

The two boys were then trained and are now fully qualified volunteers.

Mr Baird said: "Ollie and Pablo have been coming to work with me for years and are already well known within the school of biological sciences - I'm under no illusion that the reason I get lots of visitors to my office is because of the boys!

"There's a lot more to find out about the really positive aspects of dog-human interactions, but it's now known that dogs and humans have the same hormonal response when we look into each other's eyes - we both release oxytocin, which is sometimes called the 'love hormone'.

"Oxytocin is involved in maternal bonding, trust and altruism and may explain why therapy dogs elicit such positive responses in the humans they interact with."

Ollie and Pablo are now visiting the Hillhead community lounge every Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm for Chill with Canine Companions.