‘Ms the dog ate my homework!’ is a common fib Seymour teachers might hear more of , now that the College has welcomed Hunter, a Wellbeing Dog.
Hunter is a three-year old Labrador who was trained by Guide Dogs SA. He is now a Pets as Therapy Dog (PAT), permanently situated on-site at Seymour to assist with student wellbeing and learning. Seymour is the only independent school in South Australia to have a therapy dog permanently on-site.
Already, Hunter has started attending counselling sessions as well as visiting classrooms to sit with the girls for a lesson. Teachers have also found he is making a positive impact on students’ learning and engagement.
Vanessa Browning, the Head of the Junior School says “Some of the girls have had the opportunity to read to him and they do so with real confidence. Hunter’s loving nature helps children to relax, open up, try hard and have fun.”
“We have also found Hunter is very helpful with girls who are distressed from injury or are just having a bad day. He helps them to relax and takes the attention away from their ailment. The benefits with the students and parents has far exceeded my expectations and we are loving having him here”, says Ms Browning.