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Silver Lake welcomes York, therapy dog

Silver Lake is now able to offer the opportunity for our students to work with a trained professional therapy dog.  Deb Howser, Director of Special Services, and York, a Labrador Retriever and Certified Assistance Dog, completed training at CARES in Concordia, Kansas.  York joined the Silver Lake staff on Oct. 23. Along with understanding the purpose for a therapy dog the students also must understand the procedures and care required for the presence of a working dog in a school system.

School based professional therapy dogs are placed with professionals for motivational and interaction purposes. They are utilized for everything from lessons, to teaching social skills and responsibility, to comforting students in a time of grief or personal crisis. In addition, dogs provide unconditional love and support and even friendship to students who sometimes don’t have a lot of friends.

There are numerous benefits to a program of this kind: 

• A therapy dog is an excellent tool to improve the literacy skills of children when utilized as a reading partner. Dogs are ideal reading companions because they: help increase relaxation and lower blood pressure; listen attentively; do not judge, laugh or criticize; allow children to proceed at their own pace; and are less intimidating than peers. When dogs listen to children read, it’s fun! And that makes all the difference. 
• The reward of working with an animal that gives unconditional acceptance, regardless of academic grades, social abilities, or happenings with family and friends is a strong motivator.
• Physically and emotionally challenged students have an added form of therapy humans cannot provide.
• Dogs guard, protect, hunt, track, rescue, shepherd, herd and assist the blind and disabled, but the largest impact is their mere presence. Studies have confirmed health benefits with measurable results such as the immediate lowering of blood pressure. Petting or holding a dog helps a person’s physical and emotional well-being. School therapy dogs provide relief to students experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression.

York has been specially trained to work with people and we have both passed our certification and public access exam. York will be working in our schools on a daily basis. Here are a few things to understand that will help set boundaries and help students understand that York is a working dog.

• York does not play with his harness on.  I will accompany him most of the time.  He can visit classrooms upon teacher request.
• York is NOT to be a distraction in school.  If you feel that he is interfering with instruction at any time, please let me know.
• Students and staff should always ask to pet York; then if permission is granted, the person is to hold out his/her hand to let York sniff it, and THEN pet him.
• Students and staff are not to stop in the hall and pet York unless the handler gives SPECIFIC PERMISSION. When we are walking down the hall, we are on our way to completing a task and so are others. Waving to York in passing is fine.
• York is NOT to eat human food. I do have treats upon request that can be given to him (however, he has to earn them!).
• York is usually not a distraction. It is the response of the people around him that causes the distractions. Please be patient with students as they become adjusted to his being here.

Concerning children with dog allergies, The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology states:

1.     It is not dog hair but the dander and urine of the dog that can sensitize an individual to a dog allergy.  Frequent washing of the dog helps in decreasing dander levels.

2.     Dog and cat allergens are nearly universally found in public places and houses (even where there are no dogs or cats allowed) because the allergens are so easily transported.

York is bathed frequently and well groomed at all times. However, if your child has a severe or anaphylactic reaction to dogs, please let Deb know and your child will not interact directly with York.

If you have questions or would like further information, contact Deb Howser at dhowser@silverlake.k12.ks.us.

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