A US animal shelter has created a special room with all the comforts of home for its resident dogs, in a bid to prepare them for adoption.

The Ohio-based Toledo Area Humane Society gives its pets access to a room with a lounge chair, TV, rug and toy box to help give them a sense of safety and hope, TODAY US reports .

"It provides our furry friends with an opportunity to feel like they are at home, not in a shelter waiting to go home,” spokewoman Jessica LaValley said.

The ‘real-life’ room is just one of many respite programs offered by US shelters, which are geared towards reducing the stress of living in small kennels while also helping to socialise dogs.

READ MORE: US animal shelter recruits Pokémon Go players to walk dogs

"For most dogs… this is incredibly stressful, particularly for dogs who are scared and missing their former families,” Kristen Auerbach, deputy chief animal services officer at the Austin Animal Center in Texas, told TODAY.

Ms Auerbach is leading a study looking at the influence foster homes have on helping dogs to overcome behavioural problems and on their chances of adoption.

She believes programs like the ‘real-life room’ can play a ‘lifesaving' role in helping dogs adjust.

"In a real-life room, dogs can get a much-needed kennel break, take a nap on a couch and feel a little bit like they would in a normal home,” Ms Auerbach said.

"For particularly sensitive dogs, this break is often lifesaving."

Ms LaValley said the ‘real-life room' is already proving a hit with shelter residents, with many dogs showing signs of improved wellbeing.

READ MORE: Aussie volunteers knit coats to help keep shelter dogs warm