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. However, Heidi’s love of fetch opens up a wealth of possible games, and her passion for learning tricks gives opportunities for budding trainers to try their hand at teaching new skills.

Team Talk

One challenge for those of us working with dog teams, is learning how to facilitate sessions for each dog with regard for their individual behaviours and communication repertoire.

Because she so clearly advocates for herself, Heidi can help children learn about compromise and respect. She gives clear communication that provides opportunities for learning canine body language and more able children have an opportunity to develop empathy skills as they consider her doggy point of view. We get to explore ways to process disappointment and practise dealing with setbacks when Heidi says ‘no thanks’.

Gunther, on the other hand, needs more support from me as his handler. Because of his keenness to please, he might ‘tolerate’ rather than enjoy some interactions and I’m more likely to have to intervene and ‘speak’ for him.

Learning about Safety around Dogs

Gunther and Heidi both enjoy care routines, grooming and toothbrushing. Of course, it’s important to keep reminding the children that not all dogs enjoy touch as much. Therefore, every session on the menu, comes with a side order of instruction and discussion about being safe around all dogs. The reading of doggy communication signals is a thread woven through every interaction, with students encouraged to listen, observe and consider how the dog is feeling in the moment.

Here too, working with a dog team provides new opportunities to understand difference. Students can compare, to appreciate individuality and understand the risk associated with approaching other dogs.

Multi-species Teams

Then there are the NAATA therapy chickens. They come in different colours, shapes and sizes and yes, every one of them has a unique personality. Four members of the flock are comfortable with travelling to settings and enjoy ‘chicknicks’. These are sensory tea parties where a blanket is spread, and the tea-set laid out for the hens to sample tasty treats. Bruce Lee, the cockerel, sometimes enjoys being stroked while we tell stories. Kayda and Humpty often chose to sit on a lap to hear us sing to them while the others stayed focused on the food. All of the hens show a real interest in human chicknick guests when the children interact gently with them and use tuneful voices.

Having animals other than dogs on our team allows us to offer an alternative animal assisted experience to children who feel anxious around dogs (children who would find interaction with dogs far from therapeutic). Being a prey species and not possessing teeth, makes the chickens a less intimidating option for some.

Having different species on our animal team has provided greater depth and flexibility to our service. But I wonder whether dog handlers benefit in a similar way from having different sizes and breeds of dog. I’m sure this would provide more opportunities for thinking about and celebrating differences. No doubt children bring their own experiences of being around bigger or smaller pooches that might affect their confidence or make one dog easier to relate to than another.

When it comes to having multiple species on the team there are lots of considerations. Not least, the additional time and expense needed to provide an excellent standard of care. It’s also vitally important to ensure you understand and can read the communication signals of any animal you work alongside; hence I certainly wouldn’t advocate diving into work with a new species around children. You’d need to know a great deal about the behaviour and needs of that species before you could even begin to assess whether an individual animal was a good fit for school life. In reality, there are few species suited to such a role. Let’s face it, very few could come even close the potential of dogs for bringing warmth and playfulness to interactions or possess the resilience and intelligence to share our enjoyment of such a wide range of a activities.

Human Teams

A last thought on the issue of teamwork. I’ve been very fortunate to work into some incredible settings, and I’ve learned much from attempting to work in others where the team doesn’t function quite as well.

The staff in settings and the parents who share their knowledge of every child we work with are an irreplaceable component of our work. I’ll admit I wasn’t always comfortable going as a visitor into a setting and making demands about the contribution of staff and the set-up of our workspace. But I’ve found that establishing minimum expectations on both sides it’s essential for the long-term success of any partnership.

Now a days I’m selective about the teams I work into. I know we will be able to hit the ground running and bring more benefits to more people if I choose the provisions that already share our ethos and understand our values. Your minimum requirements will be particular to you and your dog, but for me I want to feel part of the team around those children and for the dogs to feel respected. Here are some of our non-negotiable terms

 We will deliver flexible and responsively, following the lead of dogs and children, with a belief in their ability to build relationships and interactions that serve them both.

• You will provide a space that is safe and comfortable for both dogs and children.
• We will share information with you and with parents to get to know children’s strengths, needs and preferences from the outset.
• We will educate the whole school about how to nurture the dogs and make school as comfortable for them as possible.
• Depending upon the group size, age and developmental needs of the children, staff will team with me to facilitate activities so that I am always able to prioritise responding to the needs of the dog (in order to support the development of positive relationships and keep everyone safe).

Dog teams 

• Working with more than one dog can provide flexibility in an organisation and take the pressure off individual dogs when they share the work-load. Having more than one dog on a team allows for diversity and broader therapeutic or learning potential.
• Dogs in a team need to be understood as individuals – just as single dogs need to be understood and supported as unique beings, dog in teams can support clients best when we work with their particular interests, needs and personalities
• Multi-species teams offer yet more diverse service provision. But just like dogs, this potential hinges upon handlers understanding the species and the individual animals, their play-drive and communication behaviours.
• Human teams influence outcomes. You might target services or settings you feel lend themselves to a team approach.
• It is helpful to have considered your requirements and those of your dogs carefully and communicated them clearly within a team.
• Teaming with those who know your students or clients best (family members and practitioners) helps to set meaningful goals, gets your client relationships and your work off the ground quickly

Thinking about building a team of dogs or therapy animals?

• How could your animal team best work together for their own enjoyment and the benefit of your clients or children?
• How well do you know the species?
• Can you interpret their communication signals easily in real time so you can support interactions in a busy environment?
• How do you support a dog who is disappointed when it’s not their time to work
• How will you continue to care for all the animals on your team for their whole life span if they are no longer able to work or wanting to work?

How can you best work with your partners to establish a shared understanding of the needs and preferences of children and animals.

References or further reading

1. Ann R Howie (2015) Teaming with your Therapy Dog https://a.co/d/9LOlius
2. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy

Editor-in-Chief: Aubrey H. Fine

Third Edition • 2010

3. It would be good to reference some of the codes of practice here.

https://iahaio.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/for-publication-small-animal-care-and-welfare-in-aai.pdf

SCAS Code of Practice currently under review.