Four-legged friends at Great Southern Grammar help students inside and outside the classroom

A pack of pooches are on the job at Great Southern Grammar to help students learn and boost their mental health. The school’s therapy dog program started last year with four dogs and it has since expanded to include nine four-legged friends. The dogs each have a designated zone in the school, helping in all areas right from Djinda Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. Several other dogs have landed the role of living on-site at the boarding houses, giving students away-from-home companionship and comfort. Principal Mark Sawle said the dogs provided wonderful support and company to students on rest breaks, while others were used for support in the classroom. “In recent years, increasing anxiety levels in children have been noted and Great Southern Grammar’s therapy dog initiative is largely in response to this,” he said. “Research highlights that children in contact with a therapy dog experience increased motivation for learning, improved attendance, gains in confidence and decreased anxiety. We have witnessed all of these positive results from having the dogs. “Where a fear of dogs exists, gradual indirect opportunities to reduce these fears have been successful with some younger students. Many students benefit from meaningful ‘brain breaks’ as they take the dogs outside for exercise.” Some of the new therapy dogs include Zappa, a five-year-old border collie-kelpie cross who works in the music department, and Woody, an 18-month-old poodle-bichon frise cross who is on duty for cuddles with the Year 2 class. “There is a genuine sense of joy from the students when in contact with the dogs,” Mr Sawle said. “If success is measured in smiles, then it is safe to say that our program has been 100 per cent successful.”