When we decided to add a dog to our family, I also wanted the dog to come to school and be incorporated into my school counseling office. When Nya came home we knew it was a perfect match for our family as well as a future therapy dog. Nya is a F1 standard goldendoodle. She's the perfect size and temperament to work in my office, and her non-shedding soft fur was an added benefit. With the help of Ideal Dogs LLC of Oshkosh, we worked hard at our training starting at age 9 weeks through 14 months old. With the help of the trainers, Nya passed preschool puppy, AKC S.T.A.R puppy, Basic Manners, Advanced Manners, AKC Canine Good Citizenship, and Therapy dog class (with certification through Alliance of Therapy Dogs). It was a solid year of training, but we met our goal and Nya's first day was at open house at Parkview for the 2019-2020 school year. The parents and students loved her immediately. I was given a packet of "my first day of school" letters where students responded that the best part of their day at school was Nya. There were many things she was trained for, but what is hard to train in a dog is what makes her perfect for my school. Nya is able to sense the upset emotions in children and adults. She will go up to a staff member she senses is stressed, gently lean into their side and stay there for petting. I have had students struggle with separation in the morning. Giving my student a leash to walk Nya to their classroom is just the trick to help stop the tears and get them into their classroom. When students come to me for emotional regulation they have an option of Nya as one of their tools. Nya will go into a "down" and stay with the child while they pet her. There have been instances where she will lay her paws and head on their lap giving the child a light pressure to give additional help in regulation. Her soft fur has absorbed many tears. Nya is happiest when she's surrounded by children and staff getting pets. She is not intimidated by large crowds of children. Part of my job as a school counselor is to crisis respond within my school, to different schools in my district and other nearby school districts in need of additional counseling support. Nya has responded to multiple deaths that affect the school community. Changes in her school environment didn't have a negative impact on her and reacted the same as if she was in her own school. She brought comfort to many whose hearts were hurting. Nya has interacted with students who rarely speaks and/or was a selective mute. These students do not or rarely speak to adults, but they will speak to Nya. She has responded to students in 4k all the way up to seniors in high school. After a visit to a neighboring school district and seeing the impact Nya had on staff and students, they're now looking at incorporating their own therapy dogs into their schools. Within her first year as a therapy dog, she already has had a positive impact on staff and students in my building, other buildings in my district, and neighboring districts. Nya is a true ambassador to school therapy dogs.

Nya mainly stays at Parkview in Mrs. Pagel's office, but she has visited other schools in our district. If you see her in your school, please make sure to stop by and give her a pet.