Therapy dogs being used in local schools to support children.
The site of a four-legged friend in the playground is causing some excitement at St Pius X College in Chatswood.
Kobie the Labrador Retriever Cross has joined the school’s counselling team as a support dog, helping children to better engage in their learning and decrease anxiety.
Principal Michael Ronchetti said the school had decided to trial the use of Kobie after looking at research which showed school support dogs reduced stress and increased positive emotions in children.
“It has become increasingly common for schools in NSW to use dogs to support students’ wellbeing and promote a sense of belonging,” Mr Ronchetti said.
“We hope that Kobie will decrease learner anxiety and also engage students who are non-verbal or have experienced trauma and find talking therapy challenging.”
Kobie belongs to the school’s psychologist and had to get top marks at his own special training, where he was found to affectionately engage with children. Mr Ronchetti said the school was also looking at using Kobie as a ‘reward’ for school attendance.
“St Pius X, like many schools in NSW, has seen a rise in school refusal post-COVID-19,” Mr Ronchetti said. “The use of a support dog may be a helpful tool in encouraging attendance and rewarding improved behaviour.”
Tidda the Tamaruke Labradoodle has also been winning the hearts of children at Cammeray Public School for two years. In the classroom, you may find a child who struggles with words reading to the tiny Tidda. At the school gate, she helps younger children with separation anxiety.
“She’s amazing with the children,” says principal Kerry McConaghy. “She’s very calm and she understands when somebody needs her just to sit quietly in their lap and for her to be patted.”
Tidda trained for a year to work in a busy school setting with lots of noise and people wanting to touch her, Ms McConaghy says.
Introducing her to the school had been a great success and improved the self-esteem of students, especially those that were more anxious.
