Therapy dogs in Koroit, Terang, Warrnambool schools

Therapy dogs have become more popular than ever, thanks in part to Victoria's $200 million Mental Health Fund for schools which began rolling out in 2022.

While they may come in all shapes and sizes, teachers and students alike have reported huge benefits from having these dogs in the classroom.

When taking a short walk through Terang College, Leah Boyd caught the attention of every student in sight.

Dozens of voices called out 'Cooper!' as the teacher made her way through the yard, their eyes set on the dog walking beside her.

It was plain to see the Canadian golden retriever had become somewhat of a celebrity on campus since he was brought in as a therapy dog in March 2022.

Mrs Boyd, who teaches primary-level art and Spanish, said she'd noticed "a big change" in her students when Cooper was in the room.

"The kids have learned that if they're calm, he'll probably choose them to come sit or lie next to," she said.

"Because he's calm, he helps you regulate your own emotions."

While the golden retriever mainly works with younger children, teenagers have benefitted from his therapy work as well.

Mrs Boyd said some of Terang College's high school students who had records of behaviour issues were completely different people when interacting with Cooper.

"They're sweet, they speak kindly, they don't swear around the dog, it's a real respect," she said.

"Just using him in those everyday moments has been really good."

The initiative is part of a wider trend that's seen a number of therapy dogs joining south-west schools.

Five-year-old labrador retriever Norman has since started working at the nearby Hampden Specialist School with his owner Lucy Davidson.

Ms Davidson, who teaches prep and year one specialist students, said Norman had to go through an "intense" four-day training before he could start at the school.

While this is mandatory for all therapy dogs, the labrador also had to be prepared for loud and disruptive environments.

"I've got kids who might start making lots of noise in the classroom, running around or throwing things," Ms Davidson said.

"So we did a lot of work with that when training. He'd be in a 'stay' position on his mat and the trainer would throw things at him, start screaming, jumping around and running and Norm just completely ignored him."

While Cooper may see hundreds of kids per day, Norman tends to focus on Ms Davidson's 17 students who may need additional care.

"I've got one prep student who's pretty non-verbal. So when she's on the floor having a rest, Norm will go up to her, poke his head in and check to see if she's ok."

The Warrnambool sect of non-profit organisation Story Dogs is one of the youngest therapy initiatives in Victoria's south-west, having started in mid-2023.

The group has seen impressive growth in that short time, attracting four owners and their dogs to volunteer at local schools.

Despite this, Warrnambool dog team coordinator Susie Alexander wants to expand the fledgling program.

"My goal is to be able to accommodate all schools in the district so that they could be provided with a dog team," she said.

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Story Dogs was founded in 2009 to encourage media literacy in children with a focus on those at a year two reading level.

More than 3000 kids are supported by the program each week thanks to its "non-judgemental setting".

"It helps to get their confidence up and make reading fun for lifelong learning," Ms Alexander said.

Team member Deb Jones knew her dog Sadie was well-suited to the program thanks to the labradoodle's great relationship with her nine grandchildren.

"She's happy to just sit beside them and put her head on their knee. You'll find that most of the children pat her as they read," she said.

Wellbeing companion dog Lilly was dressed to the nines when The Standard visited her at Koroit and District Primary School on October 26.

The kelpie-collie cross was wearing a sparkly jacket to celebrate her second birthday, and although school had finished half an hour previously, students were still keen to give her a pat.

Starting life as the runt of the litter and undergoing training at just 11 months old, Lilly has come a long way in the past year.

Her owner Glenda Allen said she had flourished in the role since starting in term four of 2022.

"It's just a no-brainer to have the dog in the school, the kids just love her," the education support staff member said.

School principal Tanya McPherson said having Lilly around was a great way to ensure children were present and ready to learn.

"It allows us to calm down our bodies and reduce our heartrate," she said.

"It could take two minutes, seven minutes, 10 minutes. It just depends on the need."

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