Kent College’s canine companions take the stress out of schooldays
Schoolchildren in Dubai are being helped to keep stress and anxiety at bay by four-legged classroom assistants.
Well-being dogs Ziggy and Marshall are a hit among staff and pupils at Kent College Dubai, where they aid the development of children with special educational needs.
Ziggy, a shih tzu-Havanese cross, was first taken to the school as a puppy by owner Carmella Jodrell, head of junior school, in January 2020.
Marshall, an 18-month-old Maltese-bichon frise cross who belongs to school counsellor Laura Channer, joined in March last year. The hypoallergenic dogs are at the school four days a week.
“Globally, we have seen an increase in the use of therapy or well-being dogs in school,” said the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator Kayleigh Hutchison.
She studied the effect the pets had on three children with special needs for a master’s degree research project.
“All three showed improvement in confidence,” she said.
She said that for a child on the autistic spectrum, a dog not only provided therapeutic benefits, but also supported other positive behavioural changes.
“One of the main barriers children with autism have is their social skills,” she said.
“But there is something about a dog that is extremely non-judgmental. You always know what you’re going to get with a dog and that creates an element of safety for the child.
“Our dogs listen to instructions and that makes the child feel heard.”
During school hours, Ziggy and Marshall interact with pupils throughout the school in short spurts so as to not tire the dogs out.
They participate in unstructured play, as well as speech development and reading development sessions.
Ms Jodrell said unstructured play, where a pupil was simply allowed to sit with the dog or pet it, was where “the magic happens”.
Children who struggle with shyness or enunciation of words are taught to give the dog clear instructions, such as “sit” or “lie down”.
“When they respond to the instructions, it gives those children that confidence that they have been heard,” she said.
The school applied for permission for the dogs to be there from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and had to inform all parents of the plan to introduce them on to school ground. It did not receive any objections.