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Why Therapy Dogs?
Why Therapy Dogs?
School therapy dogs are steadily growing in popularity as more research emerges on the benefits they have on students and staff in the school setting. Research shows that therapy dogs reduce stress and anxiety in students, and create a calm, loving, and judgment-free environment for students to learn and grow. According to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, "Therapy dogs have been called 'miracle workers' because of their calming effect on students and teachers." Veteran teacher and administrator, Shari Feeney, writes in an Edutopia article, "There were originally reservations in our district about having a therapy dog, but now Boomer is one of the most sought after staff members for his ability to enhance many components of social and emotional learning (SEL). I’ve seen Boomer stop a child’s tears in record time, help a school-phobic student walk in to school with enthusiasm, reset an anxious student’s day, ease test-taking tension, and bring smiles and laughter to everyone he encounters."
Therapy dogs help with physical, emotional, and cognitive health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published results from a study they conducted in 2012. Here is how the NIH says school therapy dogs can help:
Physical Health: promotes positive mood, reducing stress levels, and inadvertently lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels, and raising dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin levels.
Emotional Health: dogs are friendly companions and good listeners who make no judgements, students bond easily helping them feel more connected and confident, leading to a reduction in aggressive, antisocial behaviors, interacting with a therapy dog has a “social catalyst” effect, which leads to “increased stimulation of social behavior.” These relationships build trust and trustworthiness in children and help them develop a greater capacity for empathy.
Cognitive Health: interacting with therapy dogs improves students’ reading skills, stimulates memory and problem-solving skills, and even optimizes executive-functioning skills.
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