Schools
Good Dogs are Great Listeners at Several Greenwich Public Schools
Four-legged volunteers put their best ears forward for students.
All kids know they can’t bring their dogs to school. So how is it so many dogs are turning up in Greenwich Public Schools? The answer is that recently the Good Dog Foundation, which certifies therapy dogs and their handlers for school visits, has exploded in popularity.
Starting two years ago with a handful of teams traveling to ’s resource room, the program has since expanded to , , , and, most recently, to .
Dogs continue to visit resource rooms, but they also visit classrooms at all grade levels, with a total number of visits in the public schools now more than 100 per month. Because GDF strives to fill every request for a local school visit, they are always on the lookout for dogs with potential.
Every month GDF schedules dog screenings at Pet Pantry Warehouse in Greenwich. A canine casting call, if you will. The trainer who hosts the screenings, Heather Trocola, explained to Patch that there’s a misconception about therapy dogs. “People think they’re purebloods, or exhibit competition level obedience. The opposite is true. The dogs that go on school visits are family pets. Some are even rescue or shelter dogs. They can be as young as six-months-old.”
According to Trocola, “The ideal dog is outgoing, but always under his handler’s control. I look for dogs that are gentle, with a friendly disposition. I want dogs that are comfortable out of their home, that go forward and seek out affection from a stranger, but would also sense when to hold back when a person is iffy, reserved, or afraid.”
When asked what might eliminate a dog at a screening, Trocola explained that there is no barking on the visits and that dogs need to be able to ignore another dog across the room. Dogs that nip at fingers when offered a treat don’t make the cut either.
Dogs that are deemed suitable are invited to enroll with their owners in an 11-session program and earn their certification, though an older dog with some training may be able to skip the first five classes.
Shortly after graduation, ID badges are printed up and a special dog vest arrives in the mail. That’s when the real fun begins. “Our volunteers are always supported,” said Margarita Alban, one of the school visit coordinators. “An experienced handler is assigned to accompany each new team on their first school visit.”
School visits run one hour. Kindergartners share simple books, while 4th-graders typically read from their chapter books. Some teachers prefer to have two students visit a dog at a time – one to pet the dog, one to read, then swap.
At North Mianus School the office staff is popular with the dogs, who learn quickly that Principal Angela Schmidt and her administrative assistants, Debra Perry and Dale Falco, provide a generous treat after every visit.
“When I put that bandana on, Brady gets all excited,” said handler Emily Michaud of her Goldendoodle. “He knows he’s going to work. Afterward, everybody feels great. You. Your dog. And the kids.”
The next dog screening will be at on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich, on Saturday, June 18, (typically the third Saturday of the month) from 2 to 4 p.m. The next session of classes start on Tuesday, June 14th at the 90 Harding Rd.
Heather Trocola, who also finds time to volunteer with Strays and Others as well as provide professional dog training services, can be contacted at intheleaddogtraining@gmail.com. Her website is http://intheleaddogtraining.com/
For more information about Good Dog Foundation and the other environments where therapy dogs pay visits, go to http://www.thegooddogfoundation.org/
