Dog Therapy Story

 More Than a Pet

“Our therapist has four paws.”

Kids may not deal with the same day-to-day responsibilities as grown-ups, but this doesn’t mean that anxiety doesn’t exist in their lives. There are many things that children have no control over, with the majority of decisions that impact their lives made by adults. School can create a contradiction for students. The structure of the school day offers peace of mind, letting kids know what to expect, but it can also create stress with the demands of academic mastery. All schools do their best to put interventions in place to keep anxiety at bay. Riverside Elementary has added an extra layer of support with the addition of a therapy dog.

River, a Yellow Lab, joined Riverside’s family at the start of the 2023 school year. Principal, Tara Rice reflects on her transition to Riverside coinciding with River’s initiation as a therapy dog. “When I was hired as principal, a year and a half ago, one of the conditions for me accepting the job was being assigned as handler for a new therapy dog. Prior to River joining us, Lucy was our school’s therapy dog. Lucy belonged to one of our teachers and was trained to work at our school but shortly after completing her training, school was shut down due to COVID. She had a difficult time making the transition back to school, ending her time as our therapy dog.”

River went through ten months of training at Wing and Shot, a facility out of Ortinville, Michigan. Lakeview School District has committed to equipping all four of their elementary buildings with dogs trained by the handlers at Wing and Shot including Ohana at Prarieview, Captain Sully at Minges Brook, and Shelby at Westlake. Wing and Shot provided each dog which came with the price tag of the training. The trainers felt that the Yellow Lab breed was a good breed for working at an elementary school. 

River has been an integral part of the school climate at Riverside early on. Tara talks about the involvement of everyone in naming their new therapy dog. “Each classroom teacher submitted a name and our students voted from this list of names.” River is a unique name for a dog but fits her working at the school she is named after.

Although River is not on the payroll she is a valuable part of the staff at her school. “Her temperament is perfect for our students,” explains Tara. “She is part of our resilience work at Riverside and is one of our building’s sensory stations, providing an opportunity for students experiencing anxiety to have a reset. She is a friend for each student to share their secrets and feelings with, whether it be emotions of sadness or thoughts of anger.” River spends much of her day in the nurse’s office where students come to cuddle with her when they need a break. Tara shares one of the unexpected benefits that River has provided. “When we have students who are dropped off by a parent and are struggling with separation anxiety, we will have a staff member walk River out to the car to greet the child. This has worked every time in getting reluctant students to enter our building.” A big part of River’s training involved learning how to comfort people. She has a sense of when someone needs an emotional boost. She will put her paw on an individual as a way to offer encouragement. Tara describes how River’s ability to comfort helps with the ultimate goal of school. “Many social and emotional things become barriers for kids to learn. River helps to bridge this with her ability to calm students, making them more ready to learn.”

Students and staff helped River celebrate her second birthday earlier in the school year with a birthday party. As part of this celebration, shirts were printed with the phrase, “Our therapist has four paws.” The profits made from the sale of these shirts are being used to help with ongoing expenses related to the care of River.

River has scheduled bathroom breaks during the school day, one of those coming when third-grade teacher, Jennifer Ryan takes her students outside for recess. Jennifer reflects on the impact River has had on her students and all kids at Riverside. “ When I started the year, I volunteered my class to take River out for recess. My kids loved her so much that we have taken this on for the entire year. She has a calming effect on my students. All the kids at school love River. Having a dog in the building has created a universal happy feeling for everyone.” A few of Jennifer’s students summarize the appreciation they have for River. “She always wants to be near me if I am sad. She is a good dog and loves my hugs!” says Kevin Robertson. “She is the BEST because she cheers us up!” exclaims Gabe Payne.

Tara is River’s primary caregiver. River stays in her home when she is not at school. She has become a beloved member of Tara’s family. Tara is amazed at how River can distinguish between her roles of working during the day and being a family dog at night. She describes what she has observed from River in her interactions at school compared to her interactions with her family. “She wears a vest at school that identifies her as a therapy dog for Riverside Elementary. River understands that when the vest is on she is at work, and when she is not wearing her vest she can be more playful.”

Other area school districts also understand the impact therapy dogs can have on student mental health and learning. Pennfield has therapy dogs in four of their buildings including Brody at the High School, Waylon at the Middle School, Indi at North Penn Elementary, and Maverick at Purdy Elementary.  Harper Creek’s Beadle Lake Elementary’s therapy dog is an Australian Shepherd named Boone. Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center therapy dog, Hero, roams the halls, providing a calming presence for students.

River’s presence at Riverside Elementary has helped to enhance the community that exists among staff and students. The training that she has received coupled with her demeanor has been instrumental in easing the anxiety that exists in many children. She is one of many tools in helping to maximize student learning. River is more than just a pet.