Jane Pierini

Mentor

Hello! I’m Jane and together with sweet Maddie, I’m here because my values and mission match those of Canine Comprehension.

As a teacher with a social work background, I’ve always focused on students’ wellbeing – the foundation for any learning. Having ‘discovered’ late in life that I have a neurodivergent brain, in recent years I’ve deepened my commitment to supporting children and young people who struggle with ‘traditional’ classroom approaches. In a Specialist School role, I’ve honed my skills and capacities, working with students who present with intellectual, emotional physical and behavioural challenges. No matter the setting, though, I believe flexibility, authenticity, fun and patience are the ingredients for success.

Why work with my dog (apart from ‘why not?’)?

Since childhood, I’ve had a deep love of animals and nature and find my ‘raison d’etre’ in bringing these into the school environment, through gardening and now therapy dog activities. Witnessing students develop confidence, skills, social connections and even transforming their relationship with the ‘idea of learning,’ through direct experiences with plants and animals, makes my heart sing! My work with Canine Comprehension supports me to support our children in their journey of selfdiscovery and full engagement with all life has to offer.

Meet my therapy dog

Maddie | Canine Comprehension: Dog Assisted Learning Melbourne

Maddie

Hi! I’m Maddie and I’m very keen to please! Ideally, our relationship will be mutual – you scratch my back (and behind my ears, that’s really good; oh and don’t forget my tummy, thanks) and I’ll scratch students’ itch to engage with learning!

I tend to think of myself more as a people than a dog and helping students feel confident, engaged and looking forward to next session, is a lot like taking care of my puppies.

Being a kind, gentle mum is my thing; but don’t be fooled, I also get excited playing games, doing tricks and being taken to interesting places. You might say ‘you can’t teach an older dog new tricks,’ in which case, just watch me! I hope to meet you soon.