Another dog story: teacher's pet
Children at Tighes Hill Public School in Newcastle, Australia, have a dog called Yuki to help them settle down and learn. The five-year-old maltese/shihtzu cross has become one of the staff's most effective teachers and disciplinarians.
His presence in one-on-one lessons for students with behavioural problems, and in group lessons for all students has significantly improved empathy in the school, particularly among children with Asperger's syndrome (a mild form of autism) and those dealing with traumatic pasts, such as some refugee children. In turn, the academic performance of these children has noticeably improved, says support teacher Rita Boyd, Yuki's owner.
"A dog normalises everything," says animal behaviour expert Joanne Righetti. "While people might treat you differently if you're different, an animal just accepts you as normal. And unconditional acceptance is very important to all human beings." Ms Righetti says research has shown that when a dog enters a classroom, children's blood pressure decreases--an effect even more apparent in older children doing exams. ~ Sydney Morning Herald, Mar 7
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