Alderney’s St Anne’s school gets a full-time therapy dog

A NEW student starts at St Anne’s School and, like any youngster just through the doors, he is eager to learn, eager to play and excited to make new friends.

Stanley, however, will be different from his young pals.

He is a Springer Spaniel puppy who will be joining the school as a full-time therapy dog.

His job, once thoroughly trained, is to calm anxious children and provide a non-judgemental listening ear to nervous readers.

He is eventually also expected to provide therapy at places like the Connaught Care Home and the Mind Centre.

The puppy, who was born at the end of August, is being trained in Guernsey by dog therapy charity Paws for Support and is being sponsored by the Guernsey branch of Intertrust.

Paws for Support has already trained two therapy dogs who share a full-time role in Les Voies, a school for young people who experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and visiting therapy dogs who go to six other schools in the Bailiwick.

Special Needs teacher and Inclusion Manager Kim Smith will be looking after the dog.

‘The idea came from two pupils who are now in Year 10 called Ryan Davey, 15, and Jess Coleman, 14.

‘They saw a film on the internet and said “that’s what we need because a lot of the children in the schools get anxiety about exams and tests”. It’s taken a couple of years to come about as it’s not something you do lightly. Risk assessments were carried out and staff were trained in how to handle the dog and recognise behaviours.’

Stanley – named after a school vote in honour of Alderney’s town St Anne – will initially be visiting the school for short spells as a pet, to become familiarised with the school and being around children.

He will gradually be introduced into classrooms with learning support assistant handlers.

After 18 months of training and assessments he will be at the school full-time and working as a ‘reading’ dog.

‘We are hoping Stanley will help with nervous or anxious children, or children who have difficulties with behaviour,’ said Mrs Smith.

‘Children who won’t read in class, or to anyone else, will often read to a dog. Having him will also teach children how to approach a dog – and there are a lot of dogs on Alderney. I’m sure he will be a very welcome addition to St Anne’s.’

Dogs are becoming more common in schools in the UK and in the Bailiwick. Sara Sarre set up Paws for Support two years ago and has been involved in training 35 therapy dogs as well as breeding them.

She works as a full-time primary teacher at Les Voies and with Paws for Support has worked with Education to establish a policy for dogs in schools.

Any dog must complete their training before being permitted to work at a school. The dogs’ welfare and the safety of children and school staff is paramount. Training is extensive and assessments take place every year the dog is at the school.

‘Almost all people including children have an affinity to animals,’ explained Ms Sarre, who also breeds therapy dogs.

‘A child thinks, ‘‘I need to be her person, I need to be there for them’’. It teaches responsibility.

‘They’ve got unquestioning love and affection for people and they want to please. Interacting with them gives people a sense of achievement and connection with someone who is not going to judge them.’

As a puppy Stanley is still learning the behaviours suited to his future profession. But several traits marked him out to Ms Sarre as having great potential. The son of a therapy dog who produced a litter of six, his brother is being trained to be a visiting dog in Sark. A good therapy dog is friendly but calm within interactions.

‘Stanley is biddable, he wants to learn, and he’s more responsive to people than other dogs. He loves cuddles. He also copes well with sudden noises and recovers quickly once startled. But he still has a lot of behaviours to learn.’

To become a reading dog he will be taught to settle quietly beside the child and focus quietly on the book.

‘Dogs are absolutely non judgemental,’ Ms Sarre explained.

‘It’s another way you can help children. It may not be the answer, but it can be a valuable tool.’