Re: Dog as a classroom pet???
Posted by Lola on 10/05/08
At a reading conference years ago, I attended a session about
dog reading buddies. (Sorry, I can't remember the name of the
organization.)
Here's the set-up: A volunteer and his/her trained dog would
go to the library, in their special spot, for a few hours.
Students would come read books to the dog. The dog would have
to be very friendly, mature, and able to sit and "look like
they are reading." The volunteer would act as the dog's voice,
by saying things like "Sammy really liked how you read that.
But he needs a little help with this word here." The kids felt
less threatened by reading to the dog than reading to a person
because the dog wouldn't criticize or point out what they need
to work on.
I also remember them saying that dogs have to be healthy,
current on all vaccinations, and heavily insured. Even the
best dogs could sometimes snap at a child who accidently sits
on their tail.
I haven't actually heard of any of my local schools having such
a program. I only know what I learned at the session. Does
anyone actually have experience with a program such as this?
On 9/29/08, Kellie wrote:
> The principal at the elementary that I went to would bring
> her dog (a sheltie) to school. It would go with her when she
> visited classrooms, and then the dog stayed in the office
> with her. The students seemed to really enjoy seeing and
> petting the dog. You would just want to make sure that the
> students are not allergic, and you might also want to
> consider that some children may be afraid of dogs no matter
> how big or small the animal is. Another factor to consider
> is making sure the dog is comfortable with large numbers of
> people and being kept in one room for a certain length of
> time. I think it can be a good idea as long as you consider
> all the pros and cons that come along with it. Hope this
> helped!
>
> On 9/29/08, Rhonda wrote:
>> We (myself and the other special ed teacher) are wanting
>> to get a classroom pet. We've considered all the obvious
>> animals, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamster, reptiles, fish,
>> bird, and ferrets. Has anyone ever had a dog as a
>> classroom pet? What were your experiences? Do you have
>> any suggestions or ideas? Thanks for your help.
>
Posts on this thread, including this one
- Dog as a classroom pet???, 9/29/08, by Rhonda.
- Re: Dog as a classroom pet???, 9/29/08, by Kellie.
- Re: Dog as a classroom pet???, 9/29/08, by Vicky.
- Re: Dog as a classroom pet???, 10/05/08, by Lola.
- Re: Dog as a classroom pet???, 10/14/08, by Yaklots.
- Re: Dog as a classroom pet???, 10/17/08, by Rhonda.
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