In high school, the pressures of academics, extracurriculars, and social dynamics can sometimes feel overwhelming. To help students reduce their stress, therapy dogs have been visiting the school to provide calming support. Many Greeley students have enjoyed getting to know the therapy dogs and their handlers.
Greeley’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) invites the human owners of trained therapy dogs to bring their dogs to Greeley to provide students with a relaxing break during the busy school day. During lunch periods, therapy dogs rest on the patio outside of the auditorium or in the auditorium lobby and wait for students to stop by. Students may pet the dogs, talk to their owners, or simply enjoy the peaceful presence of the animals.
Greeley’s Mental Wellness Club collaborates with the PTA to host the therapy dogs at school. President Morgan G., in an email, shares that “[t]he Mental Wellness Club is happy to work with the PTA to bring in therapy dogs as part of our bi-annual Stress Less Week. This partnership allows us to bring a little bit of joy to the stressful last week of first semester.”
Recently, therapy dogs Bailey, Bode, Dakota, and Magnus have visited Greeley. PTA member Joan Schildkraut is Bailey’s owner. Bailey, a 7-year-old English Cream Retriever, has visited Greeley five times. Schildkraut also has a younger English Cream Retriever named Dakota, who has also recently come to Greeley. Schildkraut shares that she finds this program rewarding, because when students come to spend time with the dogs, they start conversations with her and immediately seem calm. “When they’re petting the dog, they let all their stress exit,” she says. “They start telling me about their day, and about their dogs and their other pets.”
Theater teacher Ms. Beattie has brought her dog Chloe to Greeley as well. Chloe, a labradoodle, is an experienced therapy dog who has also helped people at a nursing home and at another school. Ms. Beattie describes the extensive training process each therapy dog must go through and says that in an American Kennel Club program, Chloe “went through the whole first year of her life training and getting certified to be a therapy dog.” During training, therapy dogs learn to understand simple commands, such as sit, lay down, and leave it—in case someone drops food or another personal item. Therapy dogs also need to have the right temperament. Ms. Beattie explains, “They have to be friendly and easygoing, and they shouldn’t get startled by people.”
Relaxing with therapy dogs during free time can help students feel calm. Therapy dogs can be a good distraction from stressful situations that may occur at school. Freshman Allie R. shares that she thinks the temporary break from school work to see the dogs has made students’ time at school more manageable. She says, “Seeing the dogs helps me forget about the tests, deadlines, and the drama of school, even if it’s just for a minute.” Freshman Jack M. says, “When they came, both times, I [had] pet them for only a few minutes, and they changed the mood in the room. I could tell they lifted everyone’s spirits.”
Therapy dogs have many proven benefits for students. Stress during school can negatively affect school performance and health. Therapy dogs promote students’ well-being, which encourages a positive school environment. Research conducted by Courtney E. Zents, Amy K. Fisk, and Cris W. Lauback in the Division of Counseling and School Psychology at Alfred University revealed that therapy dogs in schools reduce students’ feelings of loneliness. These researchers also found that when a student is having a bad day at school, the student feels comforted by a visiting therapy dog. Their research reported that when students spend time with a dog at school, they have a reduction in anxiety, lower blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and improved behavior. According to research by Emma Ward-Griffin, Patrick Klaiber, Hanne K. Collins, Rhea L. Owens, Stanley Coren, and Frances S. Chen, therapy dogs can also help students feel more joyful and gain a sense of social support.
Taking a break from the hectic school day to pet a therapy dog can be a true joy. In addition to this, therapy dogs may help students reduce stress related to assessments. Research conducted by Cristen Walker, an assistant professor and family nurse practitioner at The University of Scranton, found that dogs can lower pre-test anxiety.
In the future, therapy dogs will continue to visit Greeley. They usually come once a quarter, so look for the dogs around the auditorium. With the ever-present stressors of daily life, the therapy dog program gives students a valuable opportunity to relax and prioritize their mental health. These furry friends can help make school a little less stressful, one wagging tail at a time.
