The start of the school year is just around the corner, and masses of students are in great excitement ahead of their arrival at school the day after tomorrow (Friday). The same excitement is sometimes accompanied by concerns and tensions about a variety of topics, such as finding new friends, sympathy among teachers and academic success.
Many schools around the world allow dogs in classrooms, as this may make students happy, but can it really help them learn better? A study conducted by the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition of the Mars PetCare group and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shrive, seeks to shed light on the issue, concluding that the presence of dogs in the classroom, along with the right protective and welfare measures, can benefit children by reducing stress and anxiety, improving social interaction, motivation and learning. This is true for children who develop normally, the researchers say, as well as for children with learning disabilities.
Improvement in many ways. Dog at school (illustration), photo: Getty Images
The Big Gainers
Another study, conducted at Washington State University with support from the Waltham Petcare Science Institute of the Mars Group, revealed that interaction with animals may help college students prone to academic stress and failure to concentrate, learn and remember information, as well as feel relaxed and accepted. Research suggests that dog-assisted therapy can help increase students' attention and improve their ability to concentrate, and hence their memory and ability to cope with stress. The students at high risk of academic failure and stress who interacted with therapy dogs benefited the most, compared to those who received only traditional academic stress management content or a combination of both.
The 12-week study evaluated 309 U.S. students who participated in one of three stress prevention programs that include varying levels of exposure to dog-assisted activities. Researchers sought to find out whether, and under what conditions, a university-based animal-assisted program would promote student performance in areas such as attention, memory, self-regulation and improved cognitive function. Each program consisted of four weekly one-hour workshops, including academic stress management, motivation and goal setting, improving sleep, and coping with test anxiety.
Also in Israel?
You may be surprised to hear, but programs for integrating dogs into classrooms already exist in Israel. An example of this can be found in a project to prepare children entering first grade held in several kindergartens in Jerusalem called "The Power to Grow", which combines a speech therapist and a therapy dog in 8 sessions, which as part of the preparation emphasizes language literacy, and emotional and social readiness of the Ministry of Education.
Experience success. Schoolchildren (illustration), photo: Getty Images
Ofer Biton, director of canine therapy at the Cypress campus and an expert in therapeutic dogs, says that the presence of a dog in the classroom reduces anxiety, helps in sensory and emotional regulation processes, calms and develops learning processes among students. "In the unique project we did with children entering first grade, we found that the presence of dogs in the learning process is reassuring," he said. "The children saw the dog as a partner, and the sense of foreignness from the new class dissipated almost from the first moment. The children were able to maintain concentration on the joint tasks with the dogs, and made their voices heard more intensely in order to connect the dogs to the learning processes."
Through working with the dogs, Biton added, the children learned arithmetic, reading, letter naming, process thinking and task work, which were a calming, non-threatening trigger and without a sense of performance anxiety. "The experiences of success were felt by the unconditional acceptance of the dogs, and the sense of partnership between the children and the pack of dogs," he noted.
For the most part, therapy dogs are trained dogs, and in order for them to function properly, they need to receive back the best care, which includes nutrition tailored to the breed, size and needs – for example, in the variety dog food from Royal Canin, the manufacturer of the premium dog nutrition brand.
In conclusion, it seems clear that the successful integration of dogs as learning companions in the education process can lead to impressive results. The ability of dogs to create a comfortable and pleasant environment in diverse classrooms and improve motivation for learning, makes them an effective and inspiring tool for children. The positive influence of dogs also increases in mental and social areas, improves the sense of security and contextual expression, and helps children develop the ability to manage emotions. With the encouragement and support of their environment, the dogs that help children learn are a positive and significant factor that influences the personal development process of all students at any age.
And most importantly – have a successful and enjoyable school year!
First graders with dogs // Photo: Ofer Biton
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