August marks the end of summer vacation for students in the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD). It’s time for young scholars and dogs to head back to school. Dogs? Yes! DCSD boasts nine therapy dogs that regularly attend elementary, middle, and high schools to help improve attendance and problem-solving abilities and to provide a calming presence.
Two national studies attest to the effectiveness of therapy dogs in schools. A 2019 National Institute of Health study found that a dog in a classroom helps promote a positive mood. The study also recorded “notable anti-stress effects” on the entire student body. A University of California study looked at canine reading programs and found that students participating in those programs showed reading fluency increasing by 12-30%.
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