We are very excited to introduce you to a new member of our school community.

Please scroll to the bottom of the page for “pupdates” over the summer.

Cybi [cuh-bee], was born on the 19^th May. He is a black Labrador puppy who is training to become a school dog and is set to become an integral part of our school community.

What are the benefits of having a school dog?

Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of therapy dogs in schools. Therapy dogs have been working in schools for the past 5 years across the UK. However, they have been commonplace in schools in the USA and Australia for much longer.

Evidence indicates that the benefits include:

• Cognitive: companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving and game-playing
• Social: a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, encourages responsibility, well-being and focused interaction with others
• Emotional: a school dog improves self-esteem, acceptance from others and lifts mood, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety
• Physical: interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, walk and stimulates the senses
• Environmental: a dog in a school increases the sense of a family environment, with all of the above benefits continuing long after the school day is over

Alongside these benefits, reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through both the calming effect the dog’s presence has on children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgemental or critical. This comforting environment helps to nurture children’s enthusiasm for reading and provides them with the confidence to read aloud. As time goes on, we hope to assess and then train Cybi as a certified therapy dog.

At the moment, Cybi is in training and learning his manners; how to greet people, where and when he can play, when he needs to be calm and quiet, what to chew (and what not to chew!). He will visit classrooms on the lead and sit in assemblies to get used to school routines, as well as going on short walks near to school over break and lunch times. He will spend most of his time in Mr Jones’s office and will slowly be introduced to school life.

Some concerns you might have:

• Allergies: Cybi will be kept clean and will only be allowed in situations with children who voluntarily want to work with him. If you do not wish for your child to be in contact with Cybi, please let the school office know.
• Training: Cybi will participate in puppy training classes outside of school, so he will be very well-behaved. He will be very well cared for and will come to school each day with Mr Jones. When he is with children, Cybi will always be on a lead and accompanied by an adult.
• Fear: some children may be scared of dogs. Cybi will be trained to be calm and gentle around children and he is already showing signs of a very loving and gentle nature. Experience and research show that with proper guidance and handling, children can learn to overcome their fear of animals and grow in respect and appreciation for them. However, if you do not wish for your child to be in contact with Cybi, please let the school office know, as this will not be a problem.

Cybi is fully insured, and he is vaccinated and will be kept up to date with all the necessary treatments he needs.

We understand that it is not possible for all families to have a pet dog and therefore we are delighted to provide the opportunity for our children to have a ‘share’ in Cybi and to gain from all that this relationship will offer.

We hope that you join us in welcoming Cybi and embrace all that he has to offer us. More information about his progress will be in future newsletters and on this page of our website.

FAQs

Q. Who is the legal owner of the dog and who pays for its costs?
A. The legal owner of the dog will be Mr Jones who will care for the dog out of school hours and will bear the costs associated with it; the school budget will remain unaffected.

Q. Will the dog be a distraction?
A. We will be careful to ensure that time spent with the school dog is shared among the children fairly. We will also ensure that children who are not involved in regular, direct contact with the dog are still able to participate in a number of ways, should they wish to do so.

Q. Has a risk assessment been undertaken?
A. Yes, we have carefully considered having a dog in school and sought advice from many sources, including other schools that successfully have a school dog.

Q. How will the dog be toileted to ensure hygiene for all?
A. In the interest of health and hygiene, our school dog will be toileted off site. Our policy of no dogs in the playground is still applicable as we are unable to put effective control measures in place that guarantee temperament and safety when children come into unsupervised contact with unknown dogs.

Q. How will the dog’s welfare be considered?
A. Cybi will be walked before and after school, as well as at lunchtime. The dog will be kept in an office area and will only have planned and supervised contact with children and visitors. The dog will be carefully trained over a period of time and will have unlimited access to water. We will work closely with other professionals to ensure the dog’s welfare is always paramount.

Q. How will this be managed where children have allergies?
A. We already manage a number of allergies at school and this will be no different for children and adults that are allergic to dogs. Individual needs will always be met and we are happy to work with parents to put additional control measures in place for individual allergies. Please make the school office aware if your child has an allergy to dogs.

Q. My child is frightened of dogs; how will you manage this?
A. Access to the dog will be carefully managed and supervised and children do not need to have close contact with Cybi if they do not want to. We hope to work closely with parents of children who are fearful of dogs to alleviate their fear and to teach them how to manage this. Please make the school office aware if you do not want your child to have any contact with Cybi.

Pupdate 1 – 5th August