Man’s best friend still has new tricks to teach school kids

School is back, but distressingly, some children are so anxious about the return that they refuse to go.  Others attend school in a constant ‘fight or flight’ mode of anxiety. With a significant focus on mental health, the Victorian government has invested additional funds for support programs to provide targeted and individualised support over the next four years.  Canine Comprehension is a provider of the School Mental Health fund. Their commitment to school readiness and nurturing peer relationships have meant that their staff: therapy dogs of all shapes and sizes, will be busy visiting schools throughout metro and regional Victoria promoting student mental health and well-being. 

A recent review of international evidence by the Australian-based organisation Evidence for Learning showed that small-group tuition could boost student learning by as much as four months, on average, over a year. Given the documented impact dogs can have on well-being, schools are increasingly adopting programs such as Canine Comprehension’s dogs in school incursions to provide emotional and social support for students. CEO and Founder of Canine Comprehension, CEO Sarah  Macdonald, observed “The role of these special therapy dogs is to provide the emotional support and unique learning opportunities that young people desperately need right now. The magic of our programs is that the dog improves the students' social, emotional and cognitive well-being. They just want to be at school when the dogs are there.”

Studies from the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties report 20% of students to need additional intensive learning support on top of classroom lessons to develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills. And these therapy dogs are finding novel ways to inspire such learning. CEO Sarah  Macdonald can see the benefit of therapy dogs providing such learning support in schools every day “our dogs go into schools, and the students light up. The presence of a dog in the classroom increases our student’s oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin levels, helping them self-regulate, concentrate and feel more optimistic. This benefits the school community as attendance improves, students are more willing to join in and show resilience along with school spirit.”

Canine Comprehension provides dog-assisted tutoring, mentoring, community incursions and school programs throughout Victoria.  Their sessions aim to improve mental health outcomes for young people.  They provide children with the support to build confidence and skills that allow them to engage more positively in school and life. It’s an important job, but mans best friend is up for the challenge.