Townsend Drive, St Albans, AL3 5RL
School Therapy Dog
Children and adults can benefit educationally and emotionally, increase their understanding of responsibility and develop empathy and nurturing skills, through contact with a suitable, calm dog.
In addition to these benefits, children and adults take great enjoyment from interaction with animals.
Our school dog is well cared for and responsibly owned, living with a member of staff.
Doodle
Doodle is a cotonoodle and belongs to Ms Palmer.
Dogs teach children responsibility. Having to remember to feed, provide water and show support for a dog can give children a sense of importance
and satisfaction that they can’t get from school or other chores. The relationship that develops can be life-changing for a child and a great support system as they themselves continue to grow and develop.
- Dogs teach children patience. Dogs do not always do as they are told first time!
- Dogs teach children compassion. Just like humans, dogs feel emotion and pain. They are prone to injuries and the infirmities of age during their relatively short lives.
- Dogs teach children about socialisation. Like most of us, dogs are social animals who enjoy and need attention and affection. By learning how to interact with a dog, children can learn how to better socialise with other children. If they can learn the social cues of a dog, then interacting with humans who can talk will be a walk in the park (pun intended).
- Dogs are fun. Last, but certainly not least, dogs are a lot of fun. They greet you with a wagging tail every day and can cheer you up even on your worst day.
Many people have studied dogs in attempts to decipher their behaviour, and the theories abound. However, you just have to witness the interactions between dogs and children to realise the potential for greatness. Dogs can sense when children with epilepsy are about to have a seizure, they can sense when a diabetic child’s sugar is low, and they can help children with severe physical disabilities find happiness in life. With the proper training and supervision, a dog can enrich a child’s life. After all, dogs are basically four-legged children who never grow up!
