This story is shared courtesy of The Arnold Sentinel. It first appeared in their September 26 issue
ARNOLD -Two furry friends can be found resting in Superintendent Joel Morgan’s office these days, but only when they’re not at work. Annie, a 4-year-old Goldendoodle, and the yet-to-be-named 3-month-old Bernedoodle puppy, will be serving all of Arnold Schools as what is known as therapy dogs. They join a growing number of dogs in the U.S. that are being used in many different settings to help their human counterparts.
“It’s something that we brought up around three years ago at board meetings. We looked at different companies and different options, and were on a waiting list, but nothing happened,” said Mr. Morgan.
Sadly, last winter, Mr. Morgan had to put his own 15-year-old dog down. He decided to go a different route and find one for home and to utilize at the school and began research on hypoallergenic dogs that have little to no shedding. Doodle-mixes popped up as breed most frequently used.
“I originally went in thinking I was only going to get a puppy, but the owner also had Annie, who needed re-homed, She thought Annie would be a good fit,” he said.
The dogs spent last week getting adjusted to the school’s surroundings. The puppy, who is around 15 lbs., and Annie, at 30-35 lbs., arrived at school in the morning with Mr. Morgan and followed him around the buildings, and kids stopped into his office to say hello during the day. The dogs were also seen running around the school with secretary Heather Hagler.
In the coming weeks and months, the dogs will work closely with students to help them grow both academically and behaviorally. This will be done in classroom settings and scheduled one-on-one times with students. Mr. Morgan, who will be the primary handler, said the kids are pretty excited.
“We’ll be thinking about which students will benefit the most from this, and we’ll learn that others can also benefit. I’d like to see them be a part of our students’ lives in as many ways as possible. The dogs can have an impact on anybody on any given day,” he said.
Benefits of having a therapy dog at school:
• Cognitive: Companionship with a dog stimulates memory and problem-solving
• Social: A dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion; encouraging responsibility, wellbeing and positive interactions
• Emotional: A dog at school improves self-esteem, acceptance from others, lifts mood, can help teach compassion, empathy, and respect for others
• Physical: Interactions with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation and often provides motivation to complete tasks
