Therapy Dogs

MEET OAKLEY

Oakley is a three year old Border Collie who has been part of our school community since she was 10 weeks old. Oakley spends most of her days in the Performing Arts classroom under the direct supervision of Mrs Peta Murray. While the students go about their activities, Oakley remains calm and observes the children.

Oakley is training to notice signs of anxiety and stress in children. She will often approach individuals and ‘check in’ – a routine she has been taught which involves her tapping or nudging a student. A student can engage Oakley’s assistance by holding her paw or scratching her under the chin. Oakley will then ‘drop’ (lay down) in front of the student and encourage them to pat her. The patting routine helps to alleviate stress or anxiety in the student. 

Oakley has been an incredible asset to the classroom and wider school environment.  The daily classroom environment is noticeably more settled and calm when Oakley is in attendance. She loves to spend recess and lunch on the oval, playing fetch or scarecrow tiggy with the children. Students now know that if they are lonely or looking for a friend to play with, Oakley is more than happy to play. Oakley is a friend to everyone.

MEET KODA

Koda is a three year old Cavador who has been part of our school community since he was 10 weeks old. Koda spends most of his days in the Science and Technology classroom under the direct supervision of Miss Jessica Rose. While the students go about their activities, Koda remains calm and observes.

Koda spends most of his time on his special couch where students are invited to come and sit with him to do their work or to pat him if they are feeling heightened. Depending on the comfort level of the students in the class, he can also be seen roaming around checking in on students. The sensory stimulation of patting dogs is proven to reduce stress and anxiety and Koda is in training to seek out students in order to sit near them and help them feel more calm. He has also been trained to "be heavy". This is where he will put the upper part of his body on a students lap as the weight can help them to feel more grounded. This can help them to focus.

Koda has been an incredible asset to the classroom and wider school environment. The daily classroom environment is noticeably more settled and calm when Koda is in attendance. He spends the mornings before school chasing his ball on the oval where students will often check in and say hello. He loves to spend recess and lunch walking around on his leash. Students now know that if they are lonely or looking for a friend to play with, Koda is more than happy to walk with them.