Dotty the School Dog

This is Dotty, she is our school dog and an Australian Labradoodle. Dotty has been chosen for her special temperament and hypoallergenic qualities. Australian Labradoodles are particularly intuitive, very intelligent, easily trained and are excellent with young children making them an ideal family member and school dog! However, they are still full of fun when playing outdoors and can be incredibly comical at times! They are also extremely cute. They look like teddy bears!

Mrs Obank owns Dotty and got her from a special breeder who starts the training and temperament tests the puppies so that she can be suitable as a therapy dog.

Dotty is in training to become a therapy dog.

We believe there is significant potential for dogs to help young people in a range of educational environments, bringing benefits to their academic, emotional and social development. The positive impact the human-dog bond can have is huge and can change lives. It can make each day happier and more complete. Our intention is to nurture and harness a loving relationship between the dog and children in school.

There are many benefits to having a school dog, including:

• the presence of companion animals can improve the well-being of children and lower anxiety levels, simply by making the environment happier and more enjoyable.
• dogs in the school can be used to calm fears, relieve anxieties and teach skills.
• improved behaviour and concentration, reduced stress and improvement in pupils’ self-esteem;
• encouraging expression, participation and confidence for all children;
• fostering a sense of responsibility;
• motivating pupils to think and to learn, as most children have a high level of natural interest in, enthusiasm for and enjoyment of animals;
• encouraging respect and thereby improving pupils’ relationships with each other, parents and teachers;
• teaching children to nurture and respect life;
• helping children build confidence in reading;
• improving overall attendance;
• further promoting our well-being agenda for pupils and staff

If you would like to follow Dotty's adventures in our school and through her training then please follow her Instagram page.