Therapy Dogs in Classrooms. Advantages and Disadvantages

Academic Paper from the year 2022 in the subject Pedagogy - School Pedagogics, grade: 1.0, University of Education Heidelberg, language: English, abstract: The following paper discusses why therapy dogs should be present in classrooms. Therefore, the advantages, disadvantages, and potential solutions for the disadvantages of therapy dogs in schools will be presented. Each year, approximately 7.7 million children between the ages of 6 and 17 struggle with mental health challenges. The vast majority of these children are insufficiently treated. Consequently, they are vulnerable to adverse school outcomes such as attendance, academic, and behavioral problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these problems, increasing the need for "effective school-based interventions". Therefore, educators continually seek positive behavioral interventions to support these students' academic, behavioral, and social success. In this regard, Endenburg and van Lith (2010) point out the benefits of incorporating therapy dogs into school settings to improve children's emotional and social well-being. For centuries, people have claimed dogs as one of their closest companions. The main reason for this may be an underlying genetic basis for social behavior in dogs and humans. Therefore, dogs often serve as confidants of children, teaching responsibility, self-esteem, and compassion. In addition, several studies indicate that dogs positively impact children's cognitive development. Canine-assisted reading programs, for example, have been shown to increase learners' reading fluency and accuracy. To take advantage of these potential benefits, dogs should be present in classrooms to support children's social-emotional and cognitive development.