When it's been a hard or stressful day, there's nothing like a good dog to provide love, calm and a focus outside oneself. CAROLYN MILLET finds out how dogs are benefiting our region's students.
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In schools across the region, there are a few youngsters who sure get away with a lot. Constantly out of uniform, they're never asked why. They aren't expected to do much more than be nice to others. And they never even have to make the excuse that they ate their own homework.
They're the dogs brought into classrooms and playgrounds, bringing happiness and calm to students and staff.
Ralph
At Armidale Secondary College, Ralph the groodle enters a year 7 classroom, rolls over and laps up the tummy rubs.
Everyone misses him when he's not there - but it's important he has downtime, handler Scott Breen says.
Ralph is an educational support dog, and has been in the school for about six months, after Scott saw the benefits in other schools, and in programs such as BackTrack.
"He's not used for formal therapy work or anything; he's more of a wellbeing and happiness dog," the stage 4 deputy principal says.
"For a two-year-old dog, he's got such a beautiful, calm temperament and he's so well-suited to this sort of thing ...
"The staff often report they have their best days of the week when he's in, and he has this calming effect amongst the kids as well.
"A lot of students will walk past and just run their hand down his back ... others will stop and give him a hug and a pat. He means different things to different kids."
For those just starting high school, the groodle - golden retriever-poodle cross - provides a "sense of belonging", Scott says.
"For other students, like our Ezidi students who are new to Australia ... it's been a really nice way for them to become comfortable with dogs and know not all dogs will hurt you, how to approach them, and how to identify when a dog's scared and cranky."
Scott bought Ralph as a well-trained pup from a reputable breeder, and had to get the OK from his principal and area director. Bringing him into the school took "a significant amount of paperwork".
On an average day, he plods along with Scott on bus duty, attends roll-call, spends a couple of periods with the school counsellor, goes "strutting around the playground", has some downtime, then lies around in classrooms being read to.
"He's just created this really nice, happy atmosphere," Scott says.
Malo
A dog can provide a means for students to build so many skills, Linda Berthon says, such as learning appropriate physical boundaries, and developing patience, self-control and problem-solving abilities.
Linda is a school counsellor whose therapy dog, Malo, has worked with her in schools in Mount Druitt and Quirindi.
She says she's found Malo particularly good at helping young people identify and regulate their emotions.
"Kids with trauma ... can get angry really quickly," she says.
"[In one school] they'd send the child to the front office ... they would throw the ball for Malo, pat her and calm down, and get back to class."
Linda says she will sometimes ask a student to work up Malo's excitement levels "and say, 'Now you have to make her calm, till she's sleepy.'"
"Sometimes they can and sometimes they can't, but they use strategies such as talking quietly and touch, and I say, 'That worked for her - what works for you when you're upset?'"
Malo started as Linda's pet; then they trained in Melbourne for the labrador-border collie cross to become a therapy dog.
"She just loves people," Linda says.
"She can be bouncy with kids when they want to be bouncy, but she can lay in amongst ... 20 kids patting her, and she'll just lie there like, 'Bring it on.'"
Indi
At Tamworth West Public School, Indi the German pointer cross has made her much-anticipated return to duty after "pawrental leave" when she had puppies.
Her handler, school psychology practice leader Traci Prendergast, said Indi had a "really gentle, easygoing nature" that made her perfect for animal-assisted therapy.
Trained through Therapy Dogs Australia in Brisbane, Indi and dogs with similar qualifications are not classed as assistance or service dogs and don't have legislated rights to public access.
But they have been trained and temperament-checked for work in settings such as counselling and the general school environment.
Dogs are attached to just one or two handlers; spend their nights and days off at their place; and, at school, always have somewhere to rest and recover during work hours.
"It's one of the nicest things to walk through the playground and have all the kids say, 'Wow, Indi's here today' - and they do occasionally also say hello to me," Traci laughs.
"She gives that overall positive buzz to the school when she's there."
Indi usually attends school a couple of times a week: "It is pretty full-on for the dog ... [we] need to make sure we're not pushing her comfort zone."
Lexi
"She makes kids happy that are, like, sad or down. She's good to play with; smart. She comes and sits down, or lies down beside you ... she'll come to see if you're alright."
This is how Parry School student Jayden McKay describes assistance dog Lexi, who's been at the school for about a year.
School principal and Lexi's co-handler, Tina White, says as "a school for students with extreme emotional and behavioural requirements", an assistance dog - a highly trained animal covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 - is of great benefit.
A dog like Lexi, who came through Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA), can cost $30,000 to train up from puppyhood.
For people with disabilities, they can do such tasks as turn lights on and off, open fridges and cupboards, and help with dressing and undressing.
At school, Lexi's job is to support students, but she's also a valuable vehicle for their learning.
She's built into the school's programming, meaning students are responsible for tasks such as budgeting for and apportioning her twice-daily meals, weighing, worming, grooming, and arranging visits to nursing homes.
"Every term, one classroom has Lexi and they're totally responsible for her ... we have a teaching program that fits our stage syllabuses," Tina says.
For example, if students have to respond to and compose texts, that can include writing reports to ADA, or writing to aged care homes to arrange a visit.
As for her psychological benefits, assistant principal and co-handler Martin Courtney said: "She often takes the focus off what they're worried about, if they're set on something and they're really upset."
He recounts the recent words of a student: "It doesn't matter what's going on in this young person's life, when she comes to school 'Lexi is always happy to see me and makes me feel better.'"