Powerful New Teaching Tool: Wellbeing Dogs in Schools

We love working with anything that has Poodle in it, generally the larger versions: Groodles, Labradoodles, Cobberdogs or Spoodles. Our rule of thumb on size is that the smaller the dog, the higher the intensity of its body language. Smaller dogs also tend to vocalise more, jumping and barking a lot more than bigger dogs.

Medium through to standard-sized dogs are generally quite passive in their body language. Anything with Golden Retriever, Labrador, or a Poodle cross of those breeds has a beautiful nature for this work. They are giving, they love the interaction, they shed very little and they trigger few, if any, allergies. They also look soft and friendly, which makes them easy for most people to warm to.

This program can be done with many kinds of dog. If you have another breed in mind, talk to us and we will happily discuss whether it is appropriate.

There are lots of different dogs, and lots of different ages, in this program. Many communities start with a mature dog that belongs to a staff member or is already part of the community.

There is a short process where we talk with you about whether the dog is appropriate in its temperament, size and breed. Generally the answer is yes. The training teaches people how to have a dog in a community so that everyone learns what they need for safety and authentic connection. It is full of positives, not just for the people but for the dog too.

We quite often start with pups. It is a beautiful model, because people grow alongside the young dog as it matures. We also often work with adult dogs from the age of one or two, and we have dogs that start at three, four or five years old. If you have a question about your own dog, bring it to the call.

We have resources that give you the information you need about outcomes, our organisation, our experience and our partnerships. If you are wondering how to take this to your leadership team, we have material you can take and use, and we are happy to talk it through with you.

No. That is not fair to the dog, and it is not fair to you. The training teaches staff to build a tight, thoroughly balanced schedule for the dog.

Dogs need interaction and exercise. They need down time and what we call positive offset time, where they recharge. They need toilet breaks, time to observe, and time to play. It is important that people learn how to build a day that fits the community and fits the dog, because the wellbeing of the dog comes first.

Part of balancing a dog's working life is making sure people build authentic connections with it. That involves a lot of fun and game-based activity, and a lot of physical connection: patting, sitting with the dog, being around it.

The training teaches you how to do this at every level. It is really important that we honour what these dogs offer. We respect it, we are thankful for it, and we need to make sure they love going to work every day.

Not every staff member needs to enrol. We enrol what we call the core team, which ranges from 2 to 18 staff depending on the size of the community.

The core team delegates, oversees and drives the program because they want to and they are passionate about it. Supported by our team, they pass the training on naturally to colleagues, caregivers and students through the opportunities that come up in your community.

It is a really important question and it deserves to be respected and talked through properly. Fear is not something we should ever attempt to change in people. Allergies are very real. Religions, cultures and personal differences mean that not everyone loves dogs.

The answer is to have those conversations respectfully and to make it clear that people can still be included. You do not need to touch the dog, or be in the dog's space, to have an important role. Invite people to see the program from a distance first, and make it clear they will never be forced into an interaction with a dog.