Gone to the dogs – canine therapy

They may not speak the same lingo, but dogs totally get the story. The language of snuggles, hugs and love is universal and working its wonders in encouraging local kids to read and warming the hearts of our elderly.

Old-fashioned methods encouraging a love of reading have literally gone to the dogs in favour of the local Reading to Dogs programme, which has been producing wonderful results for years at Remarkables School.

Deputy principal Helen Reed says the weekly visits by local volunteers and their dogs through Canine Friends Pet Therapy are a huge highlight, proving very therapeutic and beneficial for kids of all ages.

“Brain science shows that oxytocin is released when there’s a dog around and that stroking them calms the nervous system,” Reed says. “It builds confidence in the kids to read aloud and improves wellbeing. They say they don’t feel judged and that the dogs don’t care if they get it wrong,” she says. “It gets them really enthused about reading and they’re better prepared to learn.”

Chamber of Commerce chair Angela Spackman brings in her Canadian Retriever, Lexie, each week.

Canine Friends local liaison officer Beryle Ravenwood and other volunteers bring nine dogs to the school and also take seven to the Arvida at The Country Club Home. Two Cromwell rest homes also enjoy regular doggy visits.

The dogs are handpicked and carefully trained. “We’re sometimes dealing with special needs kids at school and paper-thin skin with elderly.” However, it seems the only things at risk are school lunchbox contents and afternoon tea trolleys.

“The biggest challenge is trying to get all the dogs – from a West Highland White Terrier through to a Great Dane, out through the kids at interval with their lunch boxes open,” she laughs. “So far we haven’t lost any contents to those little and big noses and it’s our 14th year going to the school.” There have been times when she’s had to replace the afternoon tea cake off the rest home trolley though as “somebody’s borrowed it”.

While all pupils get to read to the dogs, for the kids it isn’t always about reading, Ravenwood says. “It’s about having cuddles, especially with neurodiverse kids. There’s always a hand on the dog stroking it while they’re reading.”

They’re equally popular at the rest home where one elderly lady told Ravenwood the much-anticipated doggy visits are “mood changing and lift everybody’s spirits”.

Owen Todd, 99, also looks forward to it and loves to chew the fat with the dogs over the latest Southland Rugby score.

“Regardless of age their faces just light up when they see us arriving with the dogs,” Ravenwood says.

They’re hoping to take the programme into the hospital too and while that’s looking positive, she says it would be great to have more volunteers and canine cuddlers on board to make that happen.

“We’re always recruiting.”