Pawsitive Connections: How Therapy Dogs Help Kids Learn Social-Emotional Skills
“The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.” M.K. Clinton, author
A preschooler and a senior citizen connect over their love of animals.
A fifth-grade class learns to identify and express kindness by watching a therapy dog’s examples.
A girl shunned by her classmates finds moments of peace interacting with a special canine.
A teen refuses to participate in a class social gathering until hearing how her favorite four-legged friend would handle the situation and is then able to share the joy of roasting marshmallows with classmates.
What do these stories have in common? Despite the incredible range of ages and abilities, all these individuals experienced the power of the human-animal bond by meeting therapy dogs and their determined, creative, animal-assisted therapists or educators!
As a speech-language pathologist, I know that social and emotional learning underlies everything else we try to accomplish with our clients. While it can be easier to focus on targeting specific speech, language, or academic skills, if a child doesn’t understand why and how to use those skills in a meaningful way to interact with others it doesn’t result in effective interactions. Mental health often suffers in turn.
Addressing the social and emotional needs of a child I was desperate to help is what led me to animal-assisted speech therapy in the first place (see My Journey to Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy). It’s also where I’ve seen the biggest and most frequent impact on my clients, many of whom come to my caseload after being dismissed by other therapists or school programs that found the child too challenging to work with.
They are described (by others) as oppositional, defiant, disrespectful, hyper, uncaring, controlling, manipulative, and unmotivated.
Sadly, they are rarely described as anxious, overwhelmed, or lacking in interaction skills—a far more accurate and helpful description.
For this article, I wanted to hear from other animal-assisted therapists and educators about their experiences teaching social and emotional skills in partnership with their very special therapy dog partners. I found consistent themes of making connections, supporting regulation, improving motivation, and the positive impact of the work on the therapy dogs themselves emerge as these therapists poured out inspiring stories to me…
Therapy dogs Ronya (top) and Yayi engage both young children and seniors in an intergenerational animal-assisted therapy activity led by Marjorie Borreda of Le Petit Ranch.
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Spanning the age gap and learning kindness with help from rescued therapy dogs
Marjorie Borreda started in the world of digital marketing before following her true passions for both animals and giving back, completing a 240 hour Animal-Assisted Therapy certification course in Switzerland and becoming one of the first AAAIP Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention specialists in Europe. In 2024 she opened Le Petit Ranch, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Charity in Massachusetts, where she is importing what she learned working in Europe with a variety of programs for young and old alike.
Collaborating with teachers to align animal-assisted education sessions with their academic and social-emotional learning goals, Marjorie and her two rescued Spanish Greyhounds lead small group sessions while a teaching assistant reinforces the theme with a related animal-related engagement activity in the next room.
Marjorie recalls an especially powerful activity inspired by Dr. Barb Vokatis’s book (see the next section), the “Kindness Activity.” After the classroom teacher had noted some bickering and mocking happening in class, Marjorie helped the children prepare an advent calendar for the dogs, filling them with drawings and treats while paying attention to the perspective taking required to consider the dogs’ happiness. They then transitioned to working with the dogs by choosing a brush or massage glove to groom Marjorie’s therapy dog partners, Yayi and Ronya, noting how relaxed the dogs became through gentle touch. As a group they explored how kindness looks in dogs, such as sharing food, cuddling, and playing together before relating that to kindness between humans.
While some children struggled to wait their turn due to excitement, Marjorie found it offered great opportunities to practice patience and self-regulation. She also noted the kids spent 30 minutes intently focused on the activity, unusual for children so young.
(Author’s note: I also see this expanded attention span regularly in my work with very young clients and those who struggle with impulse-control. Plus it is often easier to redirect a child back to a task because doing something for the dog is purpose-driven.
For kids who tend to push back against demands, it’s also less confrontational than directly telling a child to do something. With a caseload filled with children who express a strong need for control over situations, the assistance of my therapy dogs routinely leaves caregivers remarking at how much “work” their kids do in a session compared to other settings.)
After the Kindness Activity, Marjorie distributed thank you cards with messages of kindness from the dogs to each child. They loved the cards so much that many requested extras to take home to share with siblings, spreading kindness beyond the session itself!
Parents shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about the programs run by Le Petit Ranch at school with the therapy dogs, with an anonymous online survey showing:
· 85% reported improvement in social skills, particularly cooperation, communication, and bonding with peers
· 85% noted their children showed increased curiosity about and care for animals, such as noting that a stray cat might feel hungry or scared
· 87% saw improved mood on school days with animal-assisted activities
· 94% of parents observed improvements in their child’s emotional well-being, such as reduced anxiety and increased self-confidence
· 100% said the program created a positive association with school, with many children calling it the “highlight of their week”
· 100% of parents would recommend the program to others, with many mentioning that the sessions sparked meaningful discussions with their children at home about experiences with the therapy dogs
Marjorie has found the biggest challenges working in classes of very young children are:
· ensuring adequate adult supervision between kids and dogs (such as how to handle a child needing to leave the room with an adult),
· balancing individualized support for shyer children while keeping the group as a whole engaged,
· adjusting for kids who were a bit fearful at first and needed to build their confidence around the dogs, and
· finding the right space to work in that helped kids focus on the activity with the dogs.
Marjorie’s program doesn’t end in the classroom. Every Tuesday she facilitates an animal-assisted intergenerational program with groups of 12 children and 14 seniors aged 90+.
Arriving early to allow the seniors to enjoy some quiet moments with the therapy dogs before the arrival of excited kids, Marjorie leads creative games that bridge the generations like “Who’s Who?” where the children use clues to find a senior that has hidden a dog toy. She watches these interactions sparking conversations between the generations, with the dogs acting as a natural conversation starter.
She says the hardest part of running the intergenerational program is managing overstimulation in her therapy dog partners. Marjorie works with only a small group of individuals at a time to ensure they stay comfortable.
Despite the challenges, Marjorie notes the presence of therapy dogs seem to allow emotions to surface in a non-judgmental way, making social-emotional learning natural and meaningful.
(Listen to Marjorie share more details of her intergenerational AAT program on the episode “Not Your Typical Ranch” of the podcast Get Inspired with Dr. Barb on your favorite podcast service or watch on YouTube. Follow Le Petit Ranch on Instagram @le.petit.ranch)
A unique breed of therapy dog partner
Yayi and Ronya, Marjorie’s canine partners, are not your typical therapy dog. They are both rescued “Galgos”, Spanish greyhounds that are bred for hunting and racing but often killed or abandoned when their career ends. Organizations such as Galgos Del Sol work to rehome these dogs in both Europe and the U.S..
Marjorie has found that her rescued Galgos (Spanish Greyhounds) have a natural affinity for therapy dog work. Here Yayi (left) and Ronya rest while at school for animal-assisted education.
Marjorie has been so impressed with Yayi and Ronya that she plans to adopt more Galgos in the future. Their calm, low-energy temperament, low-shedding fur, and the fact that they don’t tend to bark, lick, or drool make them ideal for an institutional setting where hygiene is a priority.
Unlike some breeds, they tend to be very respectful of personal space and naturally adjust their pace to the person walking them, whether it’s a toddler learning to walk or a senior in a wheelchair.
Marjorie noted that she adapts the therapy work to her dogs instead of expecting the therapy dogs to adapt to the work. As greyhounds their long spines make sitting for long periods uncomfortable and they don’t know a lot of obedience commands. Their naturally social but independent nature allows them to work off-leash safely, however, choosing how and when to best interact.
The connection-based activities of Marjorie’s lessons are the perfect fit to their temperament.
While Yayi and Ronya have very different personalities, they both have found their own unique niche within therapy dog work. She describes 9-year-old Yayi as “a gentle observer” who thrives in the classroom setting and loves being petted and groomed by a group of children but is not so interested in active play. Yayi’s calm demeanor is contagious to those around her and she seems to have the biggest impact on kids that need the most help learning emotional regulation. However, since she is less comfortable around adults, especially men, Marjorie is careful about what sessions Yayi participates in.
Six-year-old Ronya on the other hand is “the social butterfly”, comfortable with all ages, curious, and playful. She is energetic but adaptable, preferring to engage in games and interactive activities over staying still for long petting sessions.
When asked if Marjorie saw an impact on the dogs’ lives working in animal-assisted therapy and education she noted, “We were starting to lose [senior dog Yayi’s] spark. But everything changed when we started working in schools. Now every time she sees me packing the school bag she lights up with excitement…One of her favorite activities is being the patient during our Mini Vet Clinic, where the kids practice checking her heartbeat, ears, and paws. It’s clear that she loves the interactions and that they give her a sense of purpose.”
Younger dog Ronya likewise benefits from a lot of mental stimulation and engagement, which Marjorie has found is easily provided by participating in AAT.
While working with dogs was not Marjorie’s intent when studying animal-assisted therapy (planning instead to work with her miniature horses, guinea pigs, and chickens), she had the opportunity to lead dog-bite prevention workshops and discovered how much the children and dogs both seemed to benefit from the interactions. “It became clear there was something special in this dynamic,” she shared. So, since her horses were still very young and in training, she decided to give working with Yayi and Ronya a try.
“To my delight they thrived in the school environment, and I realized how much I enjoyed creating and adapting sessions to their unique personalities. Working with the dogs has also been incredibly beneficial for my creativity as a therapist. Their reactions and energy inspire me to constantly adapt and grow.”
Marjorie plans to work with her horses in the future, and is certified in Horse Powered Reading (stay tuned for a future blog on partnering with species large and small for animal-assisted therapy).
Marjorie noted the book Animal-Assisted Play Therapy by Rise Van Fleet and Tracie Faa-Thompson to be “extremely inspiring” and is looking forward to attending their Level One workshop soon. She’s also excited to see more collaboration and discussions happening between professionals in animal-assisted interventions. “The more we connect as a community, the more we grow—and the better we can serve both our animals and our participants.”
Well said, Marjorie!
Educational innovation with help from a therapy dog
Also involved in animal-assisted education is Dr. Barb Vokatis, who has volunteered in schools with her goldendoodle Carmel for the past seven years. A professor in the area of educating future and current teachers and previously a classroom teacher, Barb is a popular speaker on educational innovation in general and the benefits of therapy animals in schools more specifically.
Animal-assisted education specialist and advocate Dr. Barb Vokatis with therapy dog Carmel. The goldendoodle has been featured in several books about the power of therapy animals.
Her book, Teachers and Therapy Dog Teams: Innovative Collaborations to Make a Difference for Children (with co-author Lucida Ormiston), was the inspiration for the Kindness Activity discussed in the previous section.
Carmel was acquired as a family pet for Barb’s autistic child, but during training classes she discovered Carmel’s high interest in interacting with others and decided to pursue therapy dog work. Barb wondered if the dog would have an impact on children with special needs in school. “Sure enough, we have seen a lot of joy that my dog has brought to all students, including students with all kinds of needs.”
Once she began collaborating with teacher Lucinda Ormiston to teach writing and math through interactions with Carmel, Barb became more aware of how therapy animals can help children learn and it inspired her advocacy in this area.
Many of the lessons the two educators develop together relate either directly or indirectly to social-emotional awareness and regulation. The kindness activity, for example, helps kids identify good deeds that show good will by starting with describing ways in which Carmel exhibits kindness. It then progresses to exploring how humans can be kind to one another based on what they learned from the therapy dog. “This question led to a lot of discussion…children wrote their responses and illustrated them. This simple activity can be used to teach children curiosity, perseverance, collaboration, and beyond.”
(Author’s note: I’ve found for some of my child clients who have experienced a lot of frustration and failure in social interactions with peers, exploring concepts of perspective taking and emotions can trigger anxiety and avoidance of the topic. Since starting with AAT I can often broach the subject more successfully through discussion of the therapy dog’s communication signals and preferences instead, an experience echoed by speech therapists Kimbra Kern and Noel Tang in part two of this article.)
Barb notes that Carmel seems to really enjoy her time in the classroom and working one day a week seems to be the right balance for her as an individual. “She still likes being a regular dog and having other activities that have nothing to do with therapy work. [It’s] mentally exhausting because the dogs give a lot of attention to children during the visit.”
Therapy dog Carmel receives lots of love from the elementary school students she helps with both academic and social-emotional skills as part of weekly animal-assisted education activities.
She says the biggest challenge is always scheduling. “Sometimes we have planned a visit but it cannot happen because the schedule changed in school or there is testing going on…things like that.”
Echoing Marjorie’s sentiments about finding valuable trainings and resources created by the incredible professionals in this niche, Barb recommends the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals and the International Institute for Animal-Assisted Play Therapy to educators and therapist looking to learn more.
“This field has so much potential if we incorporate therapy animals in responsible but also creative ways. When teachers and therapy dog teams collaborate…it can lead to incredible benefits not only in social-emotional skills but also concrete academic benefits. We have seen children who didn’t write almost anything write books. We have seen children struggling in math start liking math.”
Dr. Barb has also authored three other therapy dog books inspired by a partnership with Carmel, a children’s book titled Carmel goes to school, a book on her journey to becoming a certified therapy dog team with Carmel, and a book about the first 3 years of volunteering with Carmel. She is also a podcast host and producer. Her podcast Get Inspired with Dr. Barb features educators and other experts who innovate in teaching and in animal assisted education. For more see barbvokatis.com or follow on instagram @dr.barb.educator (Dr. Barb is also on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X).
Coming up…
With four passionate animal-assisted interventionists collaborating on this topic, I simply couldn’t fit everything into one article.
Look for part two, in which speech-language pathologists Kimbra Kern of Missouri and Noel Tang of Hong Kong share what they’ve learned working in self-contained educational programs for children with significant emotional and behavioral challenges.
In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired to start your journey to providing animal-asssisted therapy for children on your caseload, check out the videos on the Speech Dogs YouTube channel for more ideas!
May your day be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles,
Sharlet
