Author name: lindy

Your name and role: Adam Watkins – Student at Swansea University About yourself: My name is Adam Watkins, and I am currently studying Criminology and Social Policy at Swansea University. I have a strong interest in dogs and the positive impact they can have on young learners. Through learning about cases such as Fred and others, my interest in this area has continued to grow, strengthening my passion for understanding the role dogs can play in education and development. Article Summary This article celebrates Fred, a six-year-old Labradoodle who began visiting Tenby Primary School in February 2025. After identifying reading engagement as an area for development, the school contacted the John Burns Foundation to enquire about the possibility of a reading dog to support reluctant and disengaged readers. Having previously witnessed the positive impact a reading dog can have, the school leadership team was eager to introduce Fred and from the moment he arrived, he became an instant favourite among pupils.   John Burns Foundation The Burns Foundation ‘Burns By Your Side’ scheme is based on the powerful idea that dogs can make a difference in school and so trains and supports volunteers and their dogs to visit schools. The dogs then work with pre-selected reluctant readers and help them build a positive and joyful relationship with books and reading. The Burns by Your Side scheme is a form of animal assisted service designed to create a calm and stress-free environment where reluctant readers can enjoy a book with a dog without pressure. This programme is hugely beneficial for children dealing with low confidence and stress, as the scheme helps to soften those barriers and support learning in a way that feels comfortable. The scheme today has more than 100 dedicated volunteers at schools and colleges across South and West Wales, all giving their time to help children reach their full potential thought the calm and comforting presence of a dog.   Incorporating dogs into schools Once a dog has been assessed and fully trained just like Fred was, the dogs are carefully matched to a school. After an introductory visit they begin visiting regularly, building relationships between the dog and the child they work with. Schools also gain so much from the programme too. Children learn to behave safely and respectfully around dogs, that gives them valuable life skills that go beyond reading. The support is also completely free to schools, enhancing the incredible work that teachers already do with their learners every day. About Fred As a puppy, Fred was full of mischief, always running off and being returned by neighbours who found the whole situation hilarious. He loved to socialise with every dog that he saw, and definitely took advantage of this, often refusing to come back no matter how many times he was called. So when it was announced that he was going to be starting training with the Burns Foundation, many people shook their heads and laughed, but in the end Fred had the last laugh, not only did he qualify, he even got invited to the Houses of Parliament. Once in the houses of Parliament, Fred flopped on the floor as he was tired from the journey. He had come in third place, an undeniably significant achievement, yet when he woke, he found himself quietly wondering what all the fuss was about. Fred has always been a special dog. On his early walks around town, people would constantly stop just to say hello, their faces lighting up the moment they saw him. He was so popular that Sandra, his owner began keeping count of how many times that Fred was approached. From how popular he was and the joy he brought to others, Fred was enrolled in the Burns Foundation where he began his training. He started six-week bronze level course before moving on to the silver level which was more intense but great fun. Throughout his training the welfare of Fred was always at the heart of everyone involved. Fred in Action The journey of Fred and Tenby Primary School began when reading engagement was identified as an area for improvement on the school development plan. What started as an idea to encourage young readers soon became something much more. With boundless enthusiasm, Fred has not only helped improve children’s reading skills but has also transformed their confidence and attitude towards reading. Working mainly with children in Year 1 and Year 2 and supporting the pr encouragement to those who need it most. His gentle presence helps sensitive and reluctant readers grow in confidence, improve their fluency, and engage more fully with reading. More than that, Fred shows that reading success isn’t just about skills, it’s about smiles, self-belief, and happiness too. More than just a reading dog Fred’s impact reaches far beyond reading. One Year 3 pupil, who had been left frightened of dogs after a negative experience, was initially too scared to go near him. But Fred’s calm and respectful nature gradually worked its magic. Slowly, fear turned into trust, and trust blossomed into friendship. Today, she not only pets Fred with confidence but reads to him each week. This is proof that Fred’s role in Tenby Primary School is about far more than reading. In fact, Fred is no longer just a visitor at Tenby Primary School; he is part of the family. A true school celebrity with more than 200 friends (the headteacher included!), he fills the corridors with excitement the moment he arrives. Those small, simple moments: a cuddle, a scratch, a quiet hello, create lasting smiles and a powerful boost to children’s emotional wellbeing. Fred has impacted the hearts of students and teachers. He was nominated for the National School Dog Alliance’s 2025 School’s Dog of the Year award to show his exceptional contribution to the school. The impact that Fred has had, highlights the impact of reading dogs in general. Fred’s Wellbeing Fred’s wellbeing is just as important as the children he supports. Sandra, trained

Your name and role: Dr Janet Oostendorp Godfrey About yourself: I was a specialist special needs (SEND) teacher and co-ordinator in a previous life, and am now an Academic Research Assistant at Swansea Uni. I have also been a volunteer handler going into schools, universities, and hospitals.  I still have my two, now retired, therapy labradors with me, and I enjoy researching about the motivational role dogs play throughout our lives. Article Summary School dogs are becoming increasingly common in educational settings, offering comfort, lowering anxiety, and motivating learners. However, many schools cannot realistically host a live animal due to allergies, phobias, safeguarding, dog‑welfare concerns, staffing demands, and financial constraints. As a result, educators are beginning to explore whether virtual, robotic, or mixed‑reality dogs could provide some of the same social and emotional benefits. Early research, including my quasi‑experimental study, shows that while live dogs remain strongly preferred, structured interactions with virtual dogs can still support emotional regulation, working memory, and motivation. A global 2023 survey found that attitudes toward live dogs in schools are largely positive; but the main barriers are practical and ethical rather than ideological. Emerging technologies may therefore extend access to animal‑assisted benefits without compromising welfare or safety. This article examines how alternative dog‑based experiences may complement or enhance future classroom practice. Main Article Introduction: Rethinking Human–Animal Connections in Schools Across the past decades, therapy and school dogs have become increasingly common in classrooms and corridors. They bring comfort, reduce anxiety, and inspire reluctant learners to read aloud or self-regulate more effectively. Yet despite their growing popularity, not every school can safely, ethically, or practically accommodate a live animal. Concerns over allergies, child safety, dog welfare, staff capacity, and cost remain significant barriers. This raises a timely question for educators and school leaders: if not a real dog, then what? Could virtual dogs, robotic companions, or mixed-reality environments offer similar social and emotional benefits for interacting with animals? Emerging research suggests they can, in different but complementary ways.   The Power of the Real Dog: What We Already Know The positive influence of ‘live’ dogs in educational settings is well-documented (eg Gee, Fine and McCardle, 2017; Lewis and Grigg, 2024), however working with dogs in alternative ‘virtual’ or alternative contexts is less well researched, despite the rapid advancements in technology, including virtual reality headsets and haptic (touch) devices. Will it eventually be possible to recreate a virtual dog in its entirety, and have the same effects on motivation and learning in classrooms as a ‘live’ dog?In my own research, Dogs, Working Memory and Educational Achievement (Oostendorp Godfrey, 2021), I used a quasi-experimental approach to compare how structured classroom interactions with the same, trained therapy dogs both in physical ‘live’ form and recorded in VR headsets could still enhance emotional regulation, working memory and focus in both children and adults. My conclusions showed that while not all individual results directly translate into measurable academic outcomes, the indirect gains: reduced stress, heightened motivation, and greater classroom cohesion, could still create a more empathetic, fertile ground for learning. While both children and adults preferred the live dogs to be present, VR could still assist adults in motivation for mental maths and vocabulary tasks.So, could a virtual dog be a future member of the classroom? Not every school can have a dog. In 2023, a large-scale worldwide survey, exploring educators’ views of live dogs in schools revealed that the most common barriers to including live dogs were practical and ethical constraints, rather than attitudinal (Lewis, Oostendorp Godfrey and Knight, 2023). Educators identified several key barriers to working with a live dog, including a lack of alignment with educational priorities, concerns about allergies and phobias, considerations around dog welfare, and uncertainty about how to source or train an appropriate dog. Interestingly, dislike of dogs ranked lowest, suggesting that attitudes to having live dogs in schools were largely positive but logistics and safeguarding drove hesitation. When the Real Dog Isn’t Possible: Emerging Alternatives Enter a fascinating new frontier: virtual, robotic, and mixed-reality animal companions. These technologies do not seek to replace living dogs but to extend access to the relational and motivational benefits they bring, especially where live animals are not feasible. These different approaches can also reduce the situational stress upon the animals themselves and prepare the way for more positive interactions between dogs and different groups of people. Robotic Dogs: Consistency Without Complexity For example, Van der Steen, Kamphorst, and Griffioen’s (2025) randomised controlled trial compared dog-assisted and robot-dog-assisted therapy for children with autism and Down Syndrome. Both interventions fostered engagement and improved mood, although the live dogs produced deeper affective and social responses. However, the robotic dog offered notable advantages: consistent behaviour, reduced risk, and accessibility for children who might be allergic or fearful. As well as a useful alternative, it could be argued that working with a robotic dog could be a precursor to working with live animals. Children could develop understanding of how to behave safely with the robot before interacting with the live dog. Virtual Dogs: The Rise of Immersive Companions In fact, the use of virtual reality can also assist with training appropriate behaviours around animals. At the 2024 ISAZ Conference, Anna Baatz presented her study ‘Looking for a reaction’, which examined children’s responses to realistic canine behaviours within the Dog Assisted Virtual Environment (DAVE) system (Oxley et al., 2022). DAVE helps children understand and interpret canine signals safely, supporting empathy, emotional literacy, and animal safety education. Within the safety of the headset, students can learn to visualise, focus on signs, signals and movement to develop their understanding of how a dog may behave in certain situations and prepare the way for more appropriate and successful interactions back in the classroom (or home). Virtual Companions for Health and Behavioural Change Studies by Ahn et al. (2015) and Johnsen et al. (2012) have also demonstrated the potential of virtual and mixed-reality pets through ‘apps,’ to positively influence personal behaviour through social cognitive engagement. In Ahn’s

Your name and role: Jenny Phillips About yourself: I am a qualified nursery nurse, paediatric and neonatal intensive care nurse, and forest school practitioner. With experience teaching across all ages—from little ones in early years settings to adult learners and the elderly I’ve worked as a paediatric nursing lecturer and SEN teacher. Passionate about combining animal therapy with health and education, I bring a warm, practical approach to supporting learners in all kinds of environments. About Jenny I am a qualified nursery nurse, paediatric and neonatal intensive care nurse, and forest school practitioner. With experience teaching across all ages—from little ones in early years settings to adult learners and the elderly—I’ve worked as a paediatric nursing lecturer and SEN teacher. Passionate about combining animal therapy with health and education, I bring a warm, practical approach to supporting learners in all kinds of environments. My professional path has always centred on care, connection, and creating meaningful spaces for learning and healing. I began in early years education as a nursery nurse, nurturing curiosity, emotional security, and potential from the start of a child’s development. This led me into paediatric and neonatal intensive care nursing, where I witnessed the power of compassion in critical moments. Later, as a university lecturer and forest school practitioner, I embraced nature-based learning, building environments where children could grow through exploration and connection with the natural world. Now, I teach in a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school, where supporting children emotionally, socially, and developmentally is central. Alongside this, I hold qualifications in animal and farm therapy—specialisms that have enabled me to bring therapeutic animals, particularly dogs, into educational and care settings. Article Summary In this article, Jenny shares why dogs are more than companions—they’re co-educators. Drawing on experience across early years, special education, health, and higher education, she shows how dogs create bridges where traditional methods fall short. For Jenny, dogs don’t just comfort; they open doors to confidence, connection, and learning. She explores how dogs calm anxious learners, help children regulate emotions, and spark joy in literacy. Pupils write stories, letters, and invitations inspired by their canine friends, while reluctant readers flourish during “read-to-dog” sessions. Jenny’s work also extends to clinical settings and universities—where dogs joined lectures, supported students during exams, and became part of campus culture. One dog, Walter, a trained Hearing Dog, has been central to Jenny’s journey, symbolising inclusion and sparking conversations about accessibility. In this article, Jenny shows how dogs embody the heart of inclusive practice. They don’t judge or rush—they simply show up, offering empathy and presence. In doing so, they help learners feel seen and valued, proving that education is about connection as much as content. Main Article A Career Journey of Care, Connection, and Canine Companionship Across my journey in health, education, and therapy, one truth has become clear: dogs are more than companions. In the right environments, they become co-regulators, motivators, communicators—and powerful bridges between children and the world around them. Dogs in Education: Learning Companions, Calming Presences, and Connection Builders Across every stage of my teaching journey—from early years to higher education—dogs have been powerful partners in learning. Whether with toddlers in the EYFS, neurodivergent learners in SEN schools, or university students under pressure, I’ve seen dogs build bridges where traditional methods fall short. In early years and forest school settings, dogs acted as calming, connecting presences. Their gentle support helped children regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and grow in confidence. Carefully introduced, they became co-regulators, companions, and catalysts for wider learning. Dogs also brought purpose and joy to literacy. Children wrote letters, created invitations, and penned stories about their time with the dogs. In our reading-to-dogs project, learners read aloud in calm, non-judgmental spaces—boosting fluency, confidence, and a love for books. At university, I developed the Canine Teaching Assistant Project to support student wellbeing and academic success. Dogs joined my lectures, sat alongside students during sessions, and offered emotional grounding during exams. One dog in particular, Walter, a fully trained Hearing Dog for Deaf People, became a symbol of inclusion. His presence in university discussions on disability and accessibility sparked meaningful conversations and participation across disciplines. Whether offering quiet reassurance to a nervous reader, celebrating a milestone, or walking beside a student through their day, dogs consistently show up as true co-educators—trusted, responsive, and deeply attuned to the needs of those around them. Dogs in Health: Calming, Connecting, and Changing Outcomes In clinical settings—often sterile, stressful, and overwhelming—dogs bring something medicine cannot prescribe: presence. Their arrival can instantly shift the atmosphere. As a paediatric and neonatal intensive care nurse, I witnessed how therapy dogs acted as mediators of stress, benefiting everyone—from anxious parents to exhausted nurses. Their impact goes beyond emotion. Studies show interacting with dogs reduces cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, and stimulates endorphins—producing measurable changes that support healing (Beetz et al., 2012; Kamioka et al., 2014). In teaching, I integrated animal-assisted approaches into health education, encouraging students to explore how dogs can support physiotherapy, speech therapy, anxiety management, and person-centred care. The presence of a dog transcends age, diagnosis, and background. They see the person behind the patient—and help others do the same. Dogs and Inclusion: Breaking Barriers, Building Belonging Inclusion, to me, has never been just about diagnosis or ability. It’s about connection. Across all the environments I’ve worked in, dogs have helped bring inclusion to life through presence, compassion, and non-judgmental connection. Walter, a Hearing Dog, has accompanied me across multiple roles. His quiet companionship helps people feel seen—not for their diagnosis, but for who they are. In SEN schools, therapy dogs adapt beautifully to each child’s needs—providing comfort, motivation, or calm as required. At university, therapy dogs became part of interprofessional learning, sparking new understanding of inclusive practice. When dogs are thoughtfully integrated into education and care settings, they help create spaces where everyone belongs. They don’t judge or demand—they simply show up with empathy, patience, and unconditional acceptance. Key Takeaways: Closing Thoughts – More Than a Companion From intensive care

Your name and role: Lesley Forrester About yourself: I’m a Speech & Language Therapist by profession, and I balance a half time NHS job alongside my role as an animal assisted practitioner and company director for NAATA (Northern Animal Assisted Therapies and Activities).   Article summary: In this article Lesley reflects on her journey working with therapy dogs, beginning with Heidi and later joined by Gunther. Initially, balancing school expectations with Heidi’s welfare was challenging, especially in SEND settings where routine is vital. The addition of Gunther brought flexibility, allowing the dogs to share sessions based on their readiness and suitability. Each dog offers unique strengths, Heidi’s independence and love of fetch contrast with Gunther’s affectionate nature and calming presence. Lesley highlights the importance of reading canine communication and tailoring interactions to individual children. She also explores the value of multi-species teams, including therapy chickens, which offer alternative experiences such as ‘chickniks’ for children anxious around dogs. These animals enrich learning, promote empathy, and support emotional regulation. The reflection emphasises ethical practice, animal welfare, and the importance of collaborative human teams in delivering effective animal-assisted interventions. Ultimately, Lesley advocates for a responsive, respectful approach that celebrates diversity and deepens outcomes for both children and animals. Lessons in Teamwork from the Garden Pack It has been a rare, hot weekend in the Northeast of England. I’m writing from the garden where my animal team are finding relief in the shaded areas. The hens are resting under the shrubs, occasionally spreading a wing to catch the rays.   Our two Golden Retrievers, Heidi & Gunther, are lounging on the cool patio stones in the shade of the house. Heidi, our 6-year-old girl has been dipping in and out of the toddler paddling pool. She is as much at home in the water as she is out of it and her favourite pursuit is swimming out to sea after a ball and riding back in on the waves. If only I were a surfer i might have introduced her to a board.  I myself am not a strong swimmer. Me and 3-year-old, Gunther, prefer to splash in the shallows. On beach trips he swims just far enough to steal Heidi’s ball from her mouth, then proudly returns it as though he was a champion retriever. The relationship between dog and handler as teammates has had some well-deserved attention of late. Writers such as Ann Howie have inspired us to think of how synergy with our canine partners enhances the human animal bond and maximisers our outcomes. In this article I’ll consider some other aspects of teams in Animal Assisted Intervention. Dog Teams Heidi had been my first and only therapy dog. I had always hoped to have a dog team to work with, but it wasn’t until Gunther joined us that I really became aware of the benefits it would bring. Early in my animal assisted journey I felt some conflict between meeting the expectations of schools and prioritising Heidi’s welfare. To be fair, Heidi had great enthusiasm for the role and seldom wanted to be left at home on a school day. I’m also blessed that she communicates clearly with me about her needs and wishes. She is particularly susceptible to heat and there were times when a ride in a hot car wouldn’t have been a good start to the day. Then there was an occasional morning when she looked at me in NAATA uniform, rolled away from me on her bed and dismissed me by closing her eyes. Even when our conditions of service made it clear that the dogs welfare needs were our top priority, that they would choose to come to work and that we would respect any decision not to, it was still hard to let the children down on those days. This felt especially so in special education where children were often reliant on predictable routines and not able to understand our explanations about the dog needing a day off. A dog team can work flexibly, taking some of that pressure away. Now our dogs share the timetable, accompanying me to school for our two-hour sessions on 1 or 2 days each per week. If one dog is particularly keen or one shows any reluctance for work, we can usually adjust their ‘shifts’ to suit them. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. To begin with, we maintain a rule that neither dog works two days in a row and it’s important that one dog isn’t overworked when the other declines. When working in a variety of settings, members of the animal team aren’t necessarily interchangeable. One dog’s working environment may not be suitable for the other, for a variety of reasons. For example, Gunther is a big fella. Until recently, he could still be a little clumsy around very small children or wheelchair users, so those days tended to be reserved for Heidi Turning that on its head, with careful management, the team bring potential for great variety, an increased range of outcomes and a rich source of learning and development for the human handler. Heidi and Gunther each have a unique set of skills and preferences that mean a greater scope for enjoyment, innovation and relationship dynamics. The children in some SEND settings particularly benefit from being with Gunther. They crave physical contact and sometimes struggled with Heidi’s very independent nature. It can be tricky to help child process what they may perceive as rejection from a dog, who declines touch particularly if their understanding of language is limited and we can’t easily reassure them. Needless to say, Gunther revels in the cuddles and these children are quick to learn how to sit or lie in a way that invites him to come close. He leans into them or lies across them, providing calming input, and he delights in sharing a blanket with them. For children with sporting interests, Gunther’s tendency to steal balls to evoke a chase might cause some frustrations.