Dogs in the Classroom a Growing U.S. Phenomenon

By Kyle Rawn

Dogs are becoming a common fixture in class rooms across the United States

When second-grade teacher Jane Harvey and her pal Barkley walk down the hall at Union Elementary in College corner, Ohio, the joy and intrigue is obvious as children reach to pet him or beam joyous grins at the happy puppy as they pass.

Harvey says the shaggy, white dog has warmed the school's heart, and has done a lot for the kids. Whether it's a child with behavioral problems or someone who needs a reading buddy, Barkley is there to lend a paw.

Union Elementary employs Barkley as an educational tool to enhance learning, teach responsibility and aid in the emotional leveling of children. Known as pet therapy, the phenomena is gaining popularity in the area, as it has in North America recently. The Talawanda Board of Education in Ohio is currently considering granting permission for a dog at an Oxford school.

"They're not just therapy dogs," said Karen Ross, who is a Kramer Elementary fourth-grade teacher. "They are really helping children with their reading. They inspire the kids that aren't getting the attention they need."

The canines are trained by the Nebraska organization Domesti-PUPS (Providing Unique Personal Service). This group prepares dogs to help people with various disabilities. The dogs that fail the rigorous demands needed are placed in Edu-PUPS and sent into classrooms across the country.

In Barkley's case, he failed just one test. Whenever an umbrella opened in front of his face, he would get scared. While Barkley could not ace his report card as a disability helper, he has made Harvey's job as a teacher much easier, and has helped make the classroom experience for teacher and students much more pleasant.

Two years ago, Harvey faced a troubled group of students in her class with a number of them causing problems in the school. After searching the Internet and consulting with the school's principal, Harvey called Domesti-PUPS. The environment in her classroom as well as the rest of the school, has been drastically different since then.

"Barkley does his greatest work when he's paired with behavioral kids," Harvey said. "I don't know how that is, but his tail wags harder when he sees those kids that truly need him emotionally."

Like Barkley, Many of the dogs used in the schools are goldendoodles, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle. Schools favor this breed because the poodle genes mean the hair of the dog does not shed, which is handy for kids suffering from allergies, and the friendly, outgoing nature of the golden retriever is perfect in a busy, social setting.

The dogs come with a price tag of around $3,000 and carry a $1 million insurance policy through Domesti-PUPS. At Union Elementary, numerous fundraising initiatives were used to pay for Barkley's adoption. Harvey is the dog's caretaker when he is not at school.

At the Talawanda district, Ross is hoping to follow a similar path. The Kramer teacher learned of Domesti-PUPS after reading about Barkley in a newspaper article. After receiving the green light from parents, teachers and staff at Kramer, Ross along with Harvey and Barkley visited the Talawanda Board of Education on December 11.

Ross has promised to personally make the initial investment and has already heard from a dog food company interested in donating food. While the school board contemplates their decision, Ross is gathering information to positively influence them.

"For years I said why can't we have animals," Ross said. "Then, I saw this little blurb about Barkley in the newspaper, and I said I want one ... We have so many parents behind us."