Therapy Dogs Benefit Students and Teachers

Unless you are a hermit, you have heard of therapy dogs. Streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix have produced reality shows featuring these unique canines. Maybe you've even seen them faithfully accompanying their owners

But it turns out therapy dogs are also being used in elementary schools to support students. Many schools have seen the benefits of these gentle dogs. Students often report better concentration, less anxiety, and may even improve their reading scores as a result.

I live and work as a substitute teacher in a rural area of Nebraska. A few years ago, a school I work at started integrating a therapy dog into their daily school routine. Jam (not pictured above) is an adorable Golden Retriever with large, soulful eyes and a sweet disposition.

The elementary students love greeting him in the morning as he patiently sits by the doorway. I have seen a child who has ADHD calm her body in his presence. I have seen older children who were dealing with anxiety and anger problems immediately relax while stroking his fur.

Having a therapy dog in a work environment has created a more positive work environment for adults who work as teachers and paras. Imagine walking into the environment where there is a living creature who has a loving presence, no matter what.

There are many times when the school's therapy dog enters a room and he is greeted with immediate smiles. Usually he gets some warm pets from the dog lovers in the group. But he almost always ends up curled up at someone's feet or snuggled up to someone on the couch.

In fact....smiling can give you the same emotional lift as your favorite dessert.

That's right...chocolate! According to Ron Gutman, the author of "Smile: The Astonishing Powers of a Simple Act" smiling has been found to have the same effect on our brain as 2,000 bars of chocolate in a study conducted by British researchers. So this humble therapy dog has the same superpower as your favorite bar of Godiva.

We don't always think of school as a place where children learn the skills of interacting with each other. The academics is usually in the forefront of our minds. And while this is important, children struggle to feel comfortable in a new place with new people.

Enter...the therapy dog.

I have seen children gather around their favorite therapy dog without hesitiation. There are many mornings when the youngest students, preschoolers and kindergartners, excitedly approach Jam to shower him with morning affection.

Children who are shy may be hesitant to interact with other children. Sometimes they may hang back and isolate themselves. Jam has been a kind of ice breaker for these children. For any child who loves dogs, the excitement of petting their furry friend overshadows any social anxiety they may feel in the moment.

It's truly amazing to see how much calmer children with ADHD and anger issues become around a therapy dog. I have seen a little girl who could hardly stay still, become completely absorbed in her four-legged friend. This may seem small, but it is a huge deal to the teacher.

Imagine trying to reach a child who is a constant whir of activity.

Just imagine a child who is constantly moving. Now imagine trying to have a cohesive conversation.....it's difficult to say the least. The truth is children with ADHD are often bright with sweet personalities.

I have observed Jam help a child with ADHD calm their bodies enough to truly absorb a lesson. This also achieves the goal of helping create a calm environment for the teacher too. After all, how upset can you really feel when looking into the adorable eyes of a Golden Retriever?

I have observed an older child who has struggled with anger issues excitedly greet his favorite furry friend with a huge smile. He calmly does homework while his best friend sits next to him.

A therapy dog may seem like a small addition to a school. But these incredibly gifted dogs can make a huge difference to both adults and children. My hope is this great tool continues to be used in schools.

And, in the meantime, I will enjoy shamelessly showering affection on my favorite theapy dog, Jam.