At Critchill our school dog is ‘Dolly’. Dolly is a Labradoodle who is 11 years old. She has been our school dog for over 5 years.

The value of pet ‘therapy’ is widely accepted as a powerful aid for stimulation and communication. Studies have shown that the presence of companion animals can improve the well-being of children and lower the rate of anxiety, simply by making the environment happier, more enjoyable and less forbidding.

Developing children’s confidence and awareness of safety around dogs can be developed with age-appropriate lessons that focus on appropriate human behaviour, as well as:

• Harnessing empathetic and compassionate attitudes towards a dog’s needs
• Learning to safely and respectfully interact with a dog in a quiet and gentle manner
• Understanding when and how it is appropriate to approach a dog
• Learning how to play fairly
• Knowing how to act if afraid of a dog

At Critchill some of Dolly’s favourite things to do include being cuddled, playing ball, going for walks and being treated with biscuits.